Punch Drunk dolls
by Ghoster.Z
Summary: I didn't know what scared me more, knowing that she was literally out of this world or realizing I fell in love with an alien. "Sakura phone home?" ". . . I'm calling the pizza place, moron."
1. Chapter 1: that one girl

_The circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant;_

_it is what you do with the gift of life_

_that determines who you are_

**OOO**

The oldest memory I have of Sakura is very first day I met her.

I can remember it now, it was such a vivid moment in my life. Although I didn't know it at the time, meeting the mysterious girl with pink hair and a wide forehead would ultimately change my life. I wasn't sure if it was for the better or worse, but either way, I was definitely captivated.

I was, uh . . . sixteen, or was it seventeen? I'm not so sure. My mind has become a little foggy over the years. But I know it was during the spring semester. I had attended Blue Leaf Academy for the elite on a music scholarship I somehow managed to win a few years back. It was amazing, really. First thing I had ever won in my entire life. Anyways, I was the loner kid who didn't really get along with anyone and only had a small handful of friends. Even then, none of my friends, save for one, attended the same school as I did. They either went to South Wind public high school or North Point.

I looked like fly in a bowl of milk. I stood out that much. My flaming red hair and dark, dark eyes clashed with the kids around me. They looked way too prim and proper to be considered healthy. Some came strolling in, flashing all the goodies their mommies and daddies bought for them, others walked with chests puffed out and an air of royalty surrounding them. Even though I detested these people, I didn't do anything to make myself stand out. If they stayed away from me, I'll stay away from them.

I wanted to go back to my dorm room and just play my drums all day. I really didn't understand the point of taking a math class if I was majoring in music. Sometimes I wondered if the people who ran these school systems were just a bunch of sadists who enjoyed torturing students. I wish I could be like them, now that sounds like my kind of thing. Sadly, it's not me who's running the school, it's some old guy who looks about ready to kick the bucket.

The two pencils in my hand started to beat against my desk as I went along with the music playing on my ipod. I love American rock and metal. There was a flow and life to it that Japanese music did not have. My favorite is Led Zeppelin, their lyrics touch a part of me that longed for the world outside these prison walls. I'd probably have to be high to really understand what the songs mean, but I like to pretend I know things without getting shitfaced again.

Our teacher comes strolling into class a minute before the final bell rings and immediately begins writing down our in-class assignment on the board. On Monday, we learned about intervals and connotations. This stuff was so easy, I could have done it in my sleep. Which was probably why I was the only person with an A in statistics. I don't look like the type, but I'm very studious about my work and a bit of a perfectionist. Unlike my fellow classmates. You'd think with all the money these kid's parents were wasting on them, they'd at least show some effort. These bastards don't know how lucky they are to even have parents that care. I turn my ipod off and start copying everything on the board.

The teacher turned around after she was done and I almost blanched at the sight, there was an unusually bright smile on her face. Why couldn't she look droopy and down like normal? Stats was always more fun when she was pissed off.

"Class, before we begin our lesson, I have some great news to share with you!"

"You've finally gotten laid?"

"Detention, Yamashita-san."

I roll my eyes and wait for the teacher to continue.

"We have a new student coming in, she just arrived from South Korea!"

There was some buzzing going around, I heard murmurs of "SNSD" and "hot korean girls." I almost wanted to pity the new kid, but then I realize how much I don't care and went back to finishing my work. The teacher walked outside the room and was gone for about two minutes before returning with someone in tow. I could immediately tell it's a girl. The girl's uniform gave it away. Great, another airhead to add to the collection.

The teacher steps aside and allowed her to enter the room. Everyone went silent. At first my eyes were down as I mulled over the stupid problem; normally I wouldn't have trouble solving these things, but I forgot my graphing calculator back in my room so I had to do everything by hand. Just as I began to write down some numbers, a small and empty voice broke my train of thought. My pencil dropped from my hand and I could for the life of me remember what I was just doing.

"My name is Haruno Sakura, I'm fifteen years old, and I just moved back from South Korea."

What the. . . I almost burst out laughing.

I bit the back of my hand so hard I felt my skin break. Oh man, _pink._ Her hair was god damn pink, like pepto-bismal pink. Holy crap, please tell me she just dyed it that color and it's not natural. I mean, no one's hair is naturally that color. She's looking down, so I can't get a good look at her face, but from what I can see, she has a pretty massive fore-head. I bet if lay out my fingers on that billboard brow, it would still be bigger.

"Sakura, there's no need to be shy, please greet everyone."

She let out an audible sigh and finally looked up.

I almost forget to breathe.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all."

_Whoa, _check out those eyes. I've never seen such green eyes before. Hell, they didn't even look green. I didn't know what color they were actually. It was like green and gold decided to have a love child and gave birth to her eyes. She's not looking at anyone in particular, just staring at the wall at the back of the room. There's a bored expression on her face, and she's slightly slouched to the side, as if she's completely worn out. Her skin is a fair shade of peach, if that made any sense. She's not pale, but definitely no where near tan. And her features are pretty sharp for someone Japanese.

Her eyebrows are pink, well, I guess she is natural then.

Now, I'm not saying she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, but there was something about her that stood out to me. She almost looked unnatural standing there. She didn't look fifteen, and she didn't look like the type who would attend this school. But then again, neither do I. There's something about this girl that bothers me, but I don't know what. This is going to bother me for the rest of the day, I just know it.

"So, why don't you tell us a little about yourself!"

I could see the teacher was trying very hard to break the awkward silence, which I did find a little strange myself. Normally all the students would be up in arms and chattering their brains away on menial things, but no one had yet to say a word. Maybe they were all just as fascinated by this weird being as much as I was.

"Like what?"

"Like, how long have you been in Korea?"

"Four years."

"Why are you attending Blue Leaf Academy?"

"Uh. . . my dad asked me too?"

There are some snickering around the room and the teacher nearly rolls her eyes to the ceiling. I can already tell what she's thinking.

_Oh please, don't let this be another one._

"So, have you taken statistics before?"

"Yes, we are two chapters ahead of your class."

"U-um, well perfect! That means you won't have any problem with our lessons then! Please, take a seat anywhere."

This Sakura girl finally stands up straighter and searches the class for an empty seat. I hear people whisper, "I hope she doesn't sit near me" and avoid eye contact so they don't give her any ideas. She takes one step and then another and then another until somehow, she's standing right in front of me. Those bloody eyes, could they get any brighter? I can't imagine what my face looks like, because it must have been very odd. She raises a delicate eyebrow and narrows her eyes at me, making them looking even more narrow. Her finger is pointed to the seat in front of mine. It's empty and I know she's more than likely going to choose that one.

"May I?"

I don't know why she has to ask, but I nod and watch her set her things down and sit. I can see perfectly over her and it makes me realize actually how small and frail she is. She seems a little sickly and it's a bit disturbing. Now that's saying something because it takes a lot to disturb me. Her back is slightly hunched over, almost making it seem as thought she's about ready to pass out.

As the teacher continues with our assignment and going over our homework, my eyes drift back to Sakura. She isn't paying attention to the teacher and she's facing the other way. Her eyes are fixed to the window and she's staring out into the world. I wonder what she's looking at, because she seems so concentrated. I must confess, I was a little mesmerized by this simple idleness. The light was hitting her in the most obscene way, bringing out the pointed features of her face. I don't know how long I've been staring, but when she scratches the corner of her lip with her pinky, I can see she's looking at me with an unreadable expression.

My eyes quickly look down and I feel my cheeks burning red. Fuck, she caught me . Now she's going to think I'm a psycho weirdo. The last thing I would want is for her to call daddy-dearest and tell him some mean kid keeps staring at her. I hear her shift in her seat and reach down in her bag for some paper and pencil. She's turned forward now and copying down some of the things the teacher wrote on the board.

"Gaara, can you please come up and answer the question?"

I grumble to myself and force myself out of my chair as I go to the front of the class. I start writing down my answer. In a hurried manner, because despite being such a _scary _person, I don't like being the center of attention. After I'm done, I cross my arms and step aside so everyone can see how much smarter I am than they are. Sakura isn't even looking up, she's still writing on in her notebook. Somehow, this act infuriates me, like she's somehow better than me. I 'tsk,' no one is better than me at math.

"Alright, now can you explain how you got this?"

I got into detail of what I did and how I went about it. My monotoned voice must have put some people off because at this point some of them have taken out their laptops and logging into facebook. These morons, they don't deserve the freebies I unwillingly hand to them. Just as I finished and proceeded to walk back to my seat, someone stops me in my tracks.

"The answer is wrong, it's not 23.47, it's 22.07."

All eyes and ears turned to the voice in the back. Her head is resting in her palm as she regards me with a cool look. If I had any eyebrows I'd cock them questionably, but seeing as how I don't, I glare at her instead. She doesn't seem fazed at all and continues to regard me like I was the most boring thing in the world. From what I could see, she hadn't even written down anything from the board! She was doodling, cats and some flowers. How the hell could she possibly know it's wrong?

"Care to explain, Sakura?"

"Well first of all, it's 2.11 divided by the root of ninety, not the other way around. And you use the inverse to find the population mean."

"Can you show us how you got this?"

". . . No."

My teacher looked affronted, "And why not?"

"I did it in my head."

"Then how can you be so sure that you are right?"

She doesn't say anything, but I know it isn't because she's nervous. When I think it about it now, I know her answer is right, but I was too much of a stubborn knuckle-head back then to admit it. At this point everyone is completely stunned. They look at her as if she were a martian, something totally out of this world.

I almost face palm, first day of class and this girl I don't even know manages to piss me off and scare the entire class. Maybe she's just doing this for kicks, or she truly is as weird as she seems, but either way, no one corrects me without any proof.

"If you can't prove that I'm wrong then I'm obviously right."

She shrugs and continues to draw, "Suit yourself."

I grind my teeth together and nearly snap the chalk piece in half. The teacher lifts up her hands and tries to cool me down.

"Now, now Gaara, we mustn't lose our tempter! I will solve this problem and then we shall see who is wrong and who is right. Please return to your seat."

I walk back to my desk and continue to glare at the pink-haired freak. I don't know why this has gotten me so riled up, normally I'd just roll my eyes and ignore the idiot who dare speak against me, but this girl. She's different, she isn't scared and totally abnormal. She's got guts, I'll give her that. But this will be the first and last time I ever let anyone, especially her, tell me I'm wrong.

* * *

><p><strong>If you see any mistakes, please <em>kindly <em>tell me where they are and I will gladly fix it. I don't need some grammar nazi all up in my grill, because I'll just make things worse for you. Anyways, I am working on updating my other stories as well.**

**Love ya!**


	2. Chapter 2: kpop girl

_looking pretty good, you catch my eyes  
>slowly, i develop interest towards you<br>tock tock the clock keeps keeps flowing  
>I keep sending small glimpses towards you<br>i send away small smiles towards you  
>now look at me hey<em>

**OOO**

I watch from across the room as Sakura is preparing lunch for us. She's standing on a small stool because she can't quite reach the sink. I chuckle lightly so she can't hear, she's always been a little sensitive about her height. I smile a little as I watch her wash the fruits and vegetables. She's made it a point to eat healthier and decided I should do the same. But really, at my age, I don't really care about what I eat anymore. I just want to spend the rest of life with her and in front of my television. Man, why did they make the good shows _after_ I turned fifty?

Sakura doesn't watch a whole lot of television, she prefers reading and listening to music. She especially likes it when I play my drums. I haven't picked up my sticks in quite a while, but our anniversary is coming up and I think I'll write her something. As she turns around to grab a knife, she looks at me over her shoulder and smiles at me. It's filled with secrets and hidden promises, and it's all for me. The same smile she's given me all these years.

* * *

><p>I wasn't following her to her next class, ours just happened to be in the same general direction. I had music 102 and she had . . . uh, I don't really know what she had, but it's not like I care or anything. I made sure to stay a good distance away from her so that if she does happen to turn around, I could hide behind something and she'll never I was following her, no, walking the same way as her. But judging how determined she was to get to her next class, I'd say she wouldn't be looking behind her anytime soon. And I say that in a way a prisoner was determined to get to death row.<p>

She walked at a slow pace, head down, and Dr. Dre headphones on. Somehow, she managed to walk through the sea of students without bumping into anyone, which was a miracle in itself because they usually happened around this time. Then words would be thrown, people's temper would flare, and a fight would ensure. It was a daily hassle all the teachers and students went through on a daily basis. Like that stupid cat fight over there. A blonde and red head are at each other's throat, I think they're fighting over that one guy with the chicken butt on his head.

She's turning a corner and I quickly follow, not that I care about losing her or anything, I just want to get to class on time. I see her pulling out a sheet of paper from her pocket and head towards a locker on the west side of the building. She's in the B aisle, I'm all the way in D. Why am I so disappointed at this? I hide within the arch of the entrance hall and watch her twist and turn the lock before popping the cabinet open. She puts a couple books away and take two out.

Microbiology and Honors Physics.

Holy crap, this girl is a genius. No wonder she called me out.

I'm still a little bitter about that, but I've cooled down since then. Through out class, I just kept staring at her while she doodled the entire period away. From the angle I could see, she drew a castle and a unicorn in less than fifty minutes. And they were really good too. Damn, girl's got some skills. She must be some kind of inbred prodigy. Her parents must have kept her home schooled and trained her to become this super genius hell bent on making others feel inferior.

I thought that was my job.

She pulls out a hello kitty and cinnamoroll pencil bag and stuffs it into her messenger bag, which by the way has more hello kitty character keychains than a capsule machine. I guess underneath that gigantic forehead is a normal girl after all. She closes her locker and continues making her way to class. I leave my hiding spot and follow in her footsteps. Once again, I can't help but notice her slouching. I wonder if she has a back problem because no one can keep that posture up all day. Maybe 'cept her.

I don't know what's come over me, I have no idea why I am so warped around this chick. I don't know her. I don't know anything about her except her name, age and where she moved from. There's nothing really interesting about her, besides her unusual hair color and eyes. She's the epitome of your average girl. I'm guessing she only stands at about 5'4 and most likely weights less than 110lbs. The grey cardigan and white skirt, which happen to be a part of the girl's uniform, seems overwhelming on her. She's so tiny, I bit if I poke her, she'll tip over and break all the bones in her body. I'd like to try that some day.

The microbiology class is in the science department, which is down the hall and the to left of my music class. The honor classrooms are past the courtyard and on the other side of the west building. I don't know which class she has first, but I really hope it's biology. That way when she gets out of class, she'll be the one following me, and I won't feel like a creeper anymore. I am so smart.

And to my luck, she does have microbiology first. She stops at the bulletin board though, and starts reading the flyer about free food to those to come to the grand opening of Creature Feature Deki Cafe. She takes out a pen and scribbles the address on her arm and continues on her way to class. I can't help but smile a little, she may be average and no where near as gorgeous as some of the girls here, but she's definitely cute in that 'I'm-too-smart-for-you' kind of way.

She stands outside the classroom door for about a minute and rubs the bridge of her nose before entering class. If I had to stand in front of everyone and introduce myself seven times in one day, I'd probably be a little peeved myself. I take one last look at the classroom before entering mine.

I love music class, I honestly do. When I'm here, I feel at home. I make my way past the basses and guitars, occasionally nod a greeting at some people and finally get behind my drum set. I feel so at ease, it's very hard to explain, but I feel on top of the world when I'm banging away to the sound of music. I feel like all the problems of the world are meaningless and there's nothing but me and my beats. My drum sticks are like an extension of my arm, the ends become my hand and the drumhead is the world. I kind of feel like Buddha or something, just sitting here in my natural environment and letting the earth move on its own.

Geez, I really need to stop smoking weed. Or at least write all this crap down so I can turn them into songs.

Our teacher is usually twenty to thirty minutes late so everyone's just doing their own thing until then. As I start to play my drums, a loud and obnoxious blonde comes bursting into the room with a cup of noodles in one hand, and throws me off my groove. I growl as the idiot makes his way towards the guitar and grabs his cherry red ESP.

"Naruto, you can't eat in here."

"Ah, shut it Takeru!"

The fool shoves his way through the mass, spilling some soup on the ground, and grins like the cheeky bastard that he is at me.

"Are you trying to get yourself kicked out?"

"Lighten up mister grumpy pants, third week of spring semester and you're already back to your normal scary self." He proceeds to stuff his face with ramen after this.

I look away with disgust because above all things, I hate ramen. Whether it be the expensive ones from Ichiraku or the cheap cup noodles, I hate ramen. Just the thought makes me visibly sick. I didn't used to have this problem, until I became friends with this moron. I hadn't realized what I got myself into when I agreed to be his room mate, but coming home everyday just to smell the MSG and beefy noodles makes you think about the things you put in your stomach.

"So yesterday after class, I decided to stop by my old place and say hi to Jiraiya, cause you know, we haven't seen each other that much since school started."

I nodded. Jiraiya was a weird man, but he had a good heart. I didn't really like being near the guy, only because he constantly smelt like sex and smoke. He did tell really good stories though, like how he went to war at sixteen, started a rebellion against the government, and created a smear campaign against the prime minister of Japan. He wasn't just and idol to Naruto, he was also his godfather. When I first became friends with Naruto, his parents had already passed away in a plane crash. He was living with Jiraiya at the time and he didn't have that many friends. Kind of like me, which was why I think we got along so well.

"Someone moved into the house across from his."

"You mean that creepy white house with the dead bodies in the backyard?"

There was this rumor going around that a serial murderer used to live in that house before it was foreclosed. He'd bring his victims home, usually young boys, drug them and them kill them. He buried all the parts he didn't eat in the backyard. Now, I may be fearless and a bit insane, but I'm not that stupid to actually set foot into that place. And now I hear someone's actually moved in there? They must be very courageous or extremely stupid. I'm going for the latter.

"Yeah, it's a small family. The old man told me they used to live in Korea! He said they have a daughter around our age and goes to our school. Weird huh?"

I nod wordlessly.

_Yeah . . . weird._

My heart is beating rather fast and I look back up to my idiot friend and try to see if he's lying, but I know this fool, he never lies. I can't help but think this new girl in the neighborhood might be the same one who had the balls to show me up. It's probably just coincidence and I'm just over-reacting. But now my mind is racing and images of a weird pink-haired family drawing turtles and cats are overtaking my thinking process. I could just see it, the entire family slouched around the table and speaking to each other in that quite and thing voice.

"_Honey, please pass the salt."_

"_Yes, dear."_

I silently chuckle to myself.

"Do you think we'll run into her?"

I shrug and adjust the snare. I hit the toms once and re-adjust it again, "This is a pretty big school, the odds of you meeting her are one in a million."

"I guess, but it'd be kind of cool to make a new friend you know? I bet she doesn't even remember how to speak Japanese. She's probably lost or something." Oh, how wrong he is. She can speak Japanese perfectly fine. So fine in fact, she even made a fool of me in front of the entire class. I know I said I was over it, but something about the moment just stuck itself to me.

He slurps the remains of his noodles and tosses the cup away. Great, now his breath smells like chicken and onion. That's just perfect. I scoot a couple inches away from Naruto, if only to make sure I had enough fresh air to breathe before he starts bellowing out some of his favorite songs. I start playing along with his strums and together we put on a mini show. A small crowd is gathered around us and some even started to sing along.

Matsuri waves to me and I slightly tilt my head to her. I know she likes me, but she's not my type. She talks too much, and even though she's a great musician, I can't date a girl who can't even pass a simple literature class. I avert my eyes and stare out the window. My hands move on their own as my mind wanders to other places. I tend to do that sometimes. Drumming came so naturally to me that I didn't even have to think about what I was doing. Today is Tuesday, or laundry day. Back when I was living without a roommate, I did all my laundry by myself. I cleaned, and dried, and folded everything on my own. My sister taught me everything I needed to know when I got a dorm here. She taught me how to cook, grocery shop, clean, and even show to sew ripped clothing. I was grateful for her assistance, because without it I don't think I could have survived the utter horror that was Uzumaki Naruto.

My second semester in, I heard my long time friend had gotten into Blue Leaf with some help from his god father. He passed the entrance exam with flying colors, a shocking and remarkable feat, and was looking for a dorm room. I offered him my room so that we could both bunk together and share the rent. Biggest mistake of my life. Now, Naruto is a very important person to me, but four days in and I was already on the verge of killing him. He left his trash everywhere, empty cups of ramen stacked high, and somehow I was the one doing his laundry.

The unthinkable had happened. I had become the common housewife and he the useless husband. I cooked for him, cleaned up after him, and even paid his bills. The bastard was domesticating me. No one makes a female out of Sabaku Gaara, the fool was going to get his balls chopped off one day and then we'll see who has the vagina in this relationship! I don't even want to talk about his school ethics. While I stay up late into the night, studying for my exams, he plays his guitar until the wee hours of the morning and complains about how hard school it. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother having friends.

A large screech brought me back and I glare at Naruto, who in return grins at me.

* * *

><p>After third period, it's lunch. Not my favorite time of day, because the school cliques all ban together in their little groups and start gossip and pick at one another. It was all so childish. I pick up my bag and stuff my books inside. Naruto gently places his ESP into it's case and slings his backpack over his shoulder. I think the guitar's the only thing he's ever treated kindly. Not even including me. Mooching bastard. As I roll my drums into the backroom with all the other equipment, someone taps my shoulder.<p>

"Hey Gaara."

Damn.

"Hi."

Matsuri smiles at me and proceeds to block my way. I try to side-step her, but she's already in front of me and keeping me from escaping. I don't want to yell at her, I've never liked yelling at girls, but this little game of chase is really getting on my nerves. I think I've made myself clear that I'm not interested in anything but friendship, even then I was still a little weary of being around her. She had a strange habit of staring at me and it was totally awkward. Not that I have any right to say anything, because up until today all I've been doing is staring at Sakura.

Speaking of which, she's probably out of class right now and heading to the cafeteria. She probably has no friends at all and would most likely be sitting alone. This will give me another opportunity to gather some information on her without anyone noticing me. Now if I could just make it out my classroom in one piece.

"So I was wondering, would you like to eat lunch with me?"

"Um, not really."

"Are you sure? My mom made me some extra food and I don't think I can eat it all by myself."

"I have my own lunch."

That was a lie, I forgot it back in my room. What's wrong with me today? I'm forgetting everything. Another reason why I wanted to leave so badly was because the lunch lines got ridiculously long and I didn't really feel like standing in a two hour line just to find out all the yakisoba sandwiches are sold out. Last time that happened I almost punched some random idiot in the face for telling me to hurry up and get lost.

"Hey period head, hurry up! I'm starving, man!"

How typical of him, he's already managed to scarf down two cups of noodles and he's still hungry. I roll my eyes and quickly move around Matsuri while she was temporarily distracted. I made a mad dash out the door and zoomed right past Naruto, who shouted for me to wait up. I scan through the sea of bodies and look for the blob of bright pink hair, but I can't find her. I have no idea where this obsession came from, there was this strange pull I felt towards her and I needed to know why it was there. The sooner I find out why, the faster I can move on with my life.

"Dude, what's the rush for? The lunch line isn't even that long!"

I've completely forgotten about that. After another quick scan, it's to my disappointment that I realize she is gone. She's probably already sitting somewhere inside the cafeteria or anywhere else in the school for that matter. I let my shoulders drop in defeat and follow Naruto to buy our food. He's right, surprisingly, the lines aren't that long and I buy my meal in less than five minutes. Someone's hand shots into my face and I realize it belongs to none other than Naruto. He's smiling at me with a nervous look on his face and silently asking me for money he will never pay back. I grit my teeth in unrepressed annoyance and shove a 1000 yen bill into his mouth. He slaps my back and shoves his way to the front of the line.

I prefer eating outside and away from the rest of the people, because even though I enjoy heavy metal and loud music, a room full of chattery people agitates me. We make our way past the double doors and enter the south side courtyard. There are groups of people scattered everywhere, already digging into their food. My stomach lets our a low rumble and I roll my eyes. We get to our usual spot under the giant oak tree and set our things down. Immediately, Naruto rips open the plastic wrapping and chows down on his Bánh mì.

Unlike him, I was raised to be civil. I open the container and eat my sandwich. My taste buds were in yakisoba heaven. If there was one good thing besides attending an elite school, it was that they served the best food in the city. Even though it was still school lunch, I know the superintendents hired professional chefs to cook for us. I open my orange juice and take a quick drink when someone bright and outlandish catches my eye. I slowly lower my drink and take a closer look. It was her. The pink-haired weirdo; Haruno Sakura.

The oak tree we sit as is pretty big, like, huge. I have no idea how old it is, but I know it's been here since before the school was built, which was in 1879. The tree sat on top of the grand staircase that led to the entrance of the school. Besides me and Naruto, a couple other people sat around the tree. We called her 'Big Granny' for obvious reasons. So it was to my surprise and utter delight that out of all the other available places to sit, she just happened to chose the one where we sat.

She's not in her uniform anymore and changed into something else. A pair of blue spandex shorts, a bright pink off the shoulder shirt, and a black sports bra. I wonder if she's in any school sports. If I had to guess, she's probably a runner, or maybe sprinting? With those skinny noodle arm, I doubt she'll do anything like javelin or shot put.

I was right when I said she was going to sit alone. She's new to this school, I doubt she'll make any friends on the first day. Hell, I don't think she'll make any friends at all. I can hear Naruto talking about kick boxing in the background, but I'm only listening half-heartedly. I watch her from the corner of my eye as she puts on her headphones and takes out a bento box. This time it's badtz-maru wrapped in a red cloth. The only reason why I know so many Hello Kitty characters is because my sister is just as obsessed with them and has made it a point to decorate our whole house with those creepy little animals.

She pops open the cover and proceeds to eat her food very slowly. Her knees are pressed against her chest and it almost seems like she's crouched down, but I can see she's sitting on a large root sticking out of the ground. Her shoes light up every time she taps them, and they have the power ranger insignia on them. I haven't worn anything like that since I was three. Her watch is the free toy you get from the McDonald's kids meal and she has earrings with french fries on them. She's a walking freak show, I mean, who in their right minds would wear any of those things?

"So then he goes in for this sucker punch, which I thing was a total cheap shot, and . . . hey, are you even listening to me?"

I snap my head back and look at him with my usual expression, "Yes."

He quirks an eyebrow, probably thinking if he should believe me or not, but continues on anyway, "And then the guy nails him under the chin! I'm just sitting there like . . ."

I close him off again and turn my attention back to Sakura. She's on the second shelf of her bento already and slowly eats her food, as if it were the most delicate thing in the world. Everything she does is so miniscule and quick I can hardly catch it with my bare eye. She takes out a green water bottle and takes a sip. I watch her throat move up and down as she consumes the water and suddenly my mouth goes dry. I have no idea where this reaction came from, but I'm not doing anything to stop it.

Naruto seemed to have noticed my disinterest in our one-sided conversation and throws and orange peel at my head. I turn to glare at him while he snickers like a hyena. He pops a piece into his mouth and chews with his mouth open. A little droplet lands on my hand and I almost reel back in disgust. I have a weird thing with hygiene and prefer not to come into contact with other people's germs. I nearly smash my fist into his jaw when his eyes widen and he's pointing at some across from me.

"Hey, that's the girl who moved into my neighborhood."

I follow his finger and sure enough, it lands on Sakura.

"Do you know her name?"

He shakes his head, "Jiraiya didn't know, so I didn't get a chance to find out. All he told me was that the kid had pink hair and it was girl. Why's she sitting all alone over there?"

"Because she doesn't have any friends."

"That sucks, let's ask her to join us."

I immediately shot down his request, "No, she's weird and I don't like her."

"Why? Have you even met her?"

"She's in my statistics class. All she did the entire time was draw stupid animals in her notebook and piss everyone off." Well, it was really just me, but he didn't need to know that.

Instead of being put off, his grin only got wider, "Sounds like my kind gal. Oi! You over there!" His shouting disturbs some people and glare at him, but he ignores it.

"Idiot, she's got headphones on, she can't hear you – Hey! Where are you going? Come back here!"

But it was too late, he was already up and making his way to Sakura. He stops in front of her, but she doesn't notice him for a while two minutes. Finally, she looks up and nearly falls off her seat. Her eyes are wide for a second before returning to normal. Hm, I guess she is capable of other facial expressions. Naruto says something and she shakes her head, but he's insistent and practically drags her onto her feet. He grabs her stuff and pulls her to where I'm sitting. I can see her heels dig into the ground as she tries to free herself from his grasp, but it's pointless. Once Naruto plans something, he always follows it to the end. He drops her belongings to the ground and pats the spot next to him.

She stands there for about a second, bento box in one hand and chopsticks in the other. Her confusion is clearly evident and I can tell she's at a loss of what to do. Her bangs are tied up into a tiny ponytail on top of her head and she looks positively adorable. I want to hit myself so hard for even thinking that, but it can't be helped. She did look quite cute. I also take back what I said about her being a runner. Just look at those toothpicks, her legs are so thin! Maybe she's a high jumper instead.

"Don't be shy, sit with us!"

Her eyes land on me, as if asking for my permission to join our circle. I'm reminded of that same moment when she asked for her current seat in math class. Once again, I nod. Albeit reluctantly, she sits cross legged across from me and doesn't know whether to continue eating or not.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and this creepy guy is Sabaku Gaara." He smiles brightly at her and I wonder if anyone has gone blind from just looking at that.

"Haruno Sakura."

"Nice to meet ya." He holds out a hand and expects her to take it and shake, but she only stares with a blank look. He slowly takes his hand back with a nervous smile and attempts to start a conversation, "So, you new here?"

"Yes."

"Where'd you used to live?"

"Seoul."

"Where's that at?"

"South Korea."

"That's cool, you know how to speak Korean?"

I almost slap my forehead. This guy can't be serious.

"Yes."

"Wanna teach me sometime?" He wiggles his eyebrows at her rather suggestively, but her expression stays the same and looks back at her food. But he isn't backing down, in fact, I think he's just trying very hard to get her to like him.

"I heard you have math class with this guy over here," He jabs his thumb at me, and I narrow my eyes at him while chewing my food, "I also heard you managed to piss everyone off."

At this she raises her head and looks at me. She has some food stuffed into one side of her cheek, but somehow she still manages to unnerve me. Her eyes seemed to have changed, because they're brighter now and I feel like their piercing right through my very soul. The gold tint around her pupil enlarged, expanding the green part into her sclera. I can't even see the whites of her eye anymore. My breathing comes out a bit labored and I feel like the whole world is scrutinizing me at this very moment. It's such a scary feeling, and I don't want to be on the receiving of this look ever again.

"If you're still upset about my outburst today, I apologize. I wasn't aware I had hurt your feelings. I was merely trying to correct a problem. If you wish for me to stay quite throughout the duration of the semester, I will oblige to your request."

Hurt my feelings? Say what. To say I was in shock was an understatement. Not only had she said something longer than a sentence, she also managed to make me look like the bad guy. I don't know what to say, so I blink instead. Naruto is just as silent as I am and looking at us as like we were crazy. Her voice hadn't changed it's tone, but it held some kind of authoritative that allowed no room for discussion.

"I'm . . . not upset in anyway. My idiot friend here – (Hey!) - was only exaggerating."

I don't think she believes me, I don't even believe me, but she takes it anyways and the conversation dies. She continues to chew her food and go back to staring at the ground, because dirt is just so interesting and people are so boring. I really want to just grab her head and tape it to a wall. I am so tired of looking at her crown. My eyes glance over at Naruto and silently ask him to make the awkward situation dissipate, because he always knows what to do in circumstances like these.

We both notice her music is still on, even though she has her headphones hanging around her neck.

"What are you listening to?"

"Kara."

"Oh! I know them! They're hot," He licks his lips, and I really don't want to know what he's thinking, "Not as hot as SNSD, but they're up there alright. What song is that?"

"Mister."

"Hell yeah, my favorite one. The butt dance is probably the greatest thing since the invention of ramen!"

"I hate ramen."

There is a moment of silence before Naruto gasps and covers his mouth in horror. He's pointing his finger at her and waving it around like she's the devil incarnate. He's mumbling something into his hand and rocks back and forth, pretending he didn't just hear what he thought he heard. I chuckle and he glares at me. I don't see why he's making it such a big deal, he knows I hate ramen and he doesn't say anything about it. Suddenly, I think my perception on Sakura is taking a 180 degree turn. Maybe she isn't such a freak after all. We might even have some things in common, like our hatred for ramen.

"Which class do you have next?" I ask the question before I can stop myself and I'm glued to the stop. I don't move at all and I'm barely breathing. Normally, I make it a point to not speak to anyone or start any conversation, but the moment got to me just felt the need to say something.

"Dance 101."

I raise my brow ridge. Dance class? I would have never thought of that.

"You dance?"

"Since I was four."

That was interesting.

"Do you have it next?"

"Yes."

"Should you be eating before you dance?"

"It's only vegetables and shrimp."

And that was the premise of our conversation. After that no one said anything and continued eating. Naruto was still a butthurt by Sakura's bold statement, but cooled down enough to compliment her on her music taste. I can already see a new friendship in the brew, and a raging headache that was sure to show it's ugly face sometime in the future. Throughout the remaining half of lunch, Naruto did most of the talking while Sakura answered with a few words from time to time. Their subject of course was Kpop and all it's infinite glory. His deepest desire for a girl to call him 'oppa' seemed to have disturbed her on some level, because she scooted a little closer to me. It went unnoticed by him, but for some reason I found myself swelling with happiness from this small action.

A few minutes before lunch ended, Sakura gathered her things and neatly put them away in her bag. She was required to go to class early to prep up and stretch before it actually started, so with a wave goodbye, she departed and walked back down the stairs. Her shoes blinking with every step she took. My eyes follow her until she can no longer be seen, and linger there for quite a while. I heard a dreamy sigh behind me and gave Naruto a weird look.

"I think she likes me."

I scoff at him, "And I turn into a leprechaun at night."

"I'm serious! She couldn't take her eyes off me the whole time."

"She was staring at her feet for an hour."

He waved a hand at my face, "You're just jealous because she doesn't hate me."

I bite the inside of my cheek, "Sakura does not hate me."

"Yeah right, I saw the way she looked at you. And don't think I didn't hear what she said, you got burned man." He licked his fingers and touched my nose while making a hissing noise.

All I can remember after that was Naruto's face being pushed into the ground while I dumped all this belongings onto the ground. Some of the others kids around us got up and quickly left.

There were three things that I realized on that day; I suffered from extreme mysophobia, I had a strange and great desire to listen to Kpop, and Sakura was definitely one of the weirdest girls I have ever met. I think she'll fit in just fine.

* * *

><p><strong>La la la la la la la, hey mister! Oh, I love Kara. <strong>

**It really bothers me when people say 'germaphobe' I don't know why, but it does. Mysophobia is the real word. **

**Bánh mì is a very popular vietnamese sandwich. I love these things, they are so good and delicious I could eat those for the rest of my life. And yakisoba sandwiches are, well, yakisoba in a soft baguette. It think the name speaks for itself. **

**My boyfriend dyed his hair red one day, it was so ugly I called him menstrual cycle man for two weeks before he took it out. **

**I'm taking microbiology, that shiz is hard. Honors Physics was crazy, interesting, but I had almost no social life thanks to that class. **

**If you see any mistakes, please _kindly _tell me where they are and I will gladly fix it. If you get all up in my grill, I will makes things worse.**

**Love ya!**


	3. Chapter 3: sweet girl

_There's a fine line between genius and insanity._

_I have erased this line._

**OOO**

Her favorite month is September, because it is the end of summer and the beginning of fall, her favorite season. I still haven't full understood her odd habits or unusual quirks, but those are things I enjoy most about her. When she's cold, she likes to stuff her hands into my pockets or burry her feet under my legs. When she's hot, she'll take off all her clothes and walk around the house naked. Hm, I guess that's why we have four children.

She still slouches when she sits and her face is usually set into an unreadable expression, void of any emotion. She doesn't doesn't smile or frown or even raise an eyebrow without a reason. I know what people call her, they think she's heartless and cold. They call her a shrew behind her back and stay clear of her way, afraid she might attack them or something. But they don't know her like I do. Her eyes may seem distant, but when you look closely, there's so much feeling buried beneath them; it'll blow you away.

* * *

><p>I didn't really get a chance to see Sakura since that day during lunch. She's been busy trying to adjust to her new schedule. I am not frustrated. Occasionally I'd see her in the hallway and give her a friendly nod, which she would return, but not quite as friendly. I'm not saying she's mean or anything, but so far I haven't seen any other emotion from her besides her aloofness. Sometimes I wonder if she's capable of being anything other than bored. I think the other students are starting to pick up on this because most of them would move to the side or walk out of her way if she was near.<p>

The only class I have with her is statistics, and we only have that once a week. I'm not disappointed at this. Nope, not at all. It's actually a good thing, really. If I had to watch her draw another unicorn with sparkling faeries in the sky, I might puke all over the floor. Sometimes when I walk past her to my music class, I'll sneak a peak into her locker as she takes stuff out of it, and mentally gag. The amount of girly crap she has already managed to shove in there is amazing. It was like a mini sanrio store right in our hallway.

After about five minutes of musing, I look down at my homework and growl. I've been in the library for over an hour and still haven't completed this stupid homework assignment. Honestly, it was the easiest thing in the world and I couldn't even concentrate on it because my mind kept wandering back to Sakura. It's the end of the week anyways, and this thing isn't even due until Wednesday. I'm pretty tired, today I had a lab for oceanography and we had to work with sea urchins and other squish things. It wasn't as fun as it sounded, I hate touching things with names I can't pronounce.

My shirt still has a stain the stupid octopus shot at me. I thought the thing was dead and decided to pick it up for a closer look, oh how wrong I was. Not only did it ruin my favorite shirt, it got all over the floor. Guess who got the lovely task of cleaning up the mess? That's right, this lucky kid. And what a joyous event that was. I learned that octopus ink was a bitch to clean up, because it stained not only clothes, but also concrete! I've never eaten octopus before, but if we ever go to a sushi place, I'm going to order it, just so I can chew it up and spit it out.

There is a loud click in the distance and the school bell starts to ring. It's already five in the afternoon and I'm starving. Tonight, I don't feel like cooking anything, so I may just go out with Naruto and look for some cheap restaurant nearby. The idiot's probably back in the dorm trashing the place while looking for food. And to think, I had spent all last night tidying up the place. My work is never done.

I gather my things and neatly put them in my bag before slinging it over my shoulder. Quietly pushing the chair in, I wave the librarian goodbye and exit through the double doors. Just as I leave the library, I bump into someone and all hells breaks loose. Papers are sent flying everywhere and a pair of dark, familiar eyes are glaring at me.

"Sabaku, watch where you're going."

I roll my eyes, "I'm not the one running down hallways, Uchiha." I spit his name out like it was acid.

He scoffs at me and starts picking up the papers, "Unlike you, I actually have somewhere to go." He sends me one more hate filled look before walking off like the cool motherfucker he thinks he is.

If the guy wasn't such an arrogant little tool, I probably wouldn't be having this much beef with him. But ever since I started school, he's been the bane of my very existence. The prick may be the number one student at the moment, but I'm right behind him. Sooner or later, I'll be the in the number one spot.

I continue making my way out of the building and enter the south east courtyard. The cheerleaders are out and practicing. Despite how annoying they are, I can't help but check out some of their well formed backsides. A pervert I'm not, but male I am. I drown out their incessant cheering by popping in my earphones and blasting some Gazette. The dorm rooms are on the other side of the school and across the street, near some of the local grocery stores and fast food places. I'm very lucky my dorm is on the first floor, because some of the buildings have five stories and the elevators got cramp real quickly.

I make it back home fifteen minutes later and stop outside my door to take off my shoes. I made a set of rules the very first day I moved in, the first being that all shoes must be taken off before entering the room. And this went by with no problems for six months; until Naruto moved in. At first he did listening to me for the first couple weeks, and then he started to get lazy. After that my list of rules was turned into a paper shuriken, which he hurled into my head.

Before I can unlock my door, it's flung open and a very hyper Naruto flings himself into my arms.

"Honey, you're back!"

Some of the passing students give us a weird look and walk faster to their rooms.

I shove him off and dust myself, "Will you stop that? People are going to think we're gay or something."

He grins and wiggles his eyebrows, "But baby, I thought you were gay."

I give him a hard smack to the head before entering my room and closing the door behind us. I instantly fall onto my lumpy couch and close my eyes. The week's finally catching up to me and I'm dead tired. I have an exam coming up for my english class and a group project for sociology. I hate working with other people, and I was planning on telling my teacher that I must work alone until I saw the look in her eye. It was either comply with the rules or get an F. I chose the former.

The green numbers on my clock informs me that it's five-thirty. Normally around this time, I would have started cooking dinner for us, but not tonight. I still plan on eating out, but I have no idea where I want to eat. They just opened a Mexican themed restaurant yesterday, maybe I'll stop by there and see what they have. The closest thing I've ever had to Mexican food was rolled tacos at the international food fair. I don't even bother asking Naruto what he wants, because he's not the one who's going to be paying; I am. Have been since the first day we became friends, always will until the day we die.

There's a loud vibration noise coming from inside his jacket and he makes a jump for it. In the process of making a grab for his cellphone, he's managed to knock down my entire CD collection that I personally organized alphabetically. I clench my fingers in anger, but don't even bother getting up because my feet are too sore.

"Hey Hinata, wassup?"

He flops down on the couch and lays his head on my thigh, smiling cheekily at me. I want to hit him, but my arms feel like jello so I let him get away with it. I'm still trying to decide where we should go eat, because the longer I sit here and think, the louder my stomach will grumble. I'm actually on a tight budget right now, my boss hasn't been paying me enough lately, so I'm making it a point to only spend money when I absolutely have to. This being a rare occasion because I deserve to treat myself once in a while. Well, myself and this guy over here.

"Naw, I'm not doing anything tomorrow, why? You wanna hang out and do something?"

Despite my indifference, I'm a little happy for the idiot. He's been pinning for the Hyuga girl for quite sometime. And it was only through my insistence, and corning him in the kitchen with a butcher knife, that he finally made a move on her. They've been dating for well over a month now, but act as if this has been going on for years.

"Sure! That's sounds good, what time do you want me to pick you up? Right, see you tomorrow!"

He shuts his phone and fists pumps into the air. If it were anymore possible, his smile only got bigger.

"I'm going to the Seaside Amusement Park with Hinata, it's gonna be freakin' awesome!"

"Great."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm Gaara, I really do," He finally gets up and stretches his arms, "So, where we gonna eat? I'm famished!"

"There's this new place that just opened yesterday, we could go there."

"Sounds like a plan!" He quickly spins around and makes a mad dash for the hallway, "I call dibs on showers first!"

But before he can even open the door, I grab him by the collar and toss him aside, "I don't think so." I shut the door and proceed to strip myself of my school uniform while ignoring his ranting.

* * *

><p>"Someday, I'm gonna open my own ramen shack and it'll be so popular they'll name a flavor after me."<p>

This guy, even when we're eating at a Mexican restaurant, is still thinking about ramen. I roll my eyes and continue to pick at my food. I ordered the carne asada fries, and though it is quite delicious, I have to wonder how they ever came up with such a strange concoction. Naruto actually managed to finish a burrito, half the size of my head, in under ten minutes. I'm not even close to finishing mine, because unlike him, I like to enjoy my meals.

Naruto tries some of the fries dipped in whip cream and guacamole. His eyes go wide for a second before grabbing a fork and chowing down on my food. This is a usual habit of his, and even though I yell and hit him for doing it, he'll never stop. Which is usually why I try and order more for myself. I shift my attention to the television hanging from the ceiling. The weather lady is on with the seven day forecast, looks like it'll be sunny for the next couple days.

As I make a grab for some extra napkins, something whizzes by the window with amazing speed. I jump back a little before getting up and running outside the door. I have a hunch at who it is, but just to make sure I'm right, I steal a quick peak at the person. I smirk, yep, it's Haruno Sakura. Today, her outfit consists of a blue hoodie, pink shorts and black roller skates. I've never seen anything so bright in my life. I like the steampunk googles sitting on her head though, seems like we may have similar interests.

She's standing outside the frozen yogurt shop and quickly slips inside. I look back over my shoulder and nearly yell at Naruto for finishing half my food, but at this point I don't really care anymore.

"I'll be right back."

"Where you going?" He says with his mouth full.

But I'm already gone and walk quickly to the yogurt shop. I take a peek inside through the window and watch as she grabs a cup and starts pouring in the yogurt. Why is she always slouching? It's a little annoying, not to mention it'll ruin her posture for the rest of her life if she keeps doing that. There's a mix of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and banana inside her cup. Now she's moving on to the toppings. A spoonful of fresh cut strawberries, slices of kiwi, peanut butter m&m's, and little cubes of cheesecake. My, for a tiny girl she certainly has a big appetite. She could probably out eat Naruto if she wanted to . . . no, never mind, no one can out eat him.

She pays for her dessert and heads for the door. I quickly hide in the space between the yogurt shop and the fruit shop so she doesn't see me, and watch her roll on down to her next destination. There's a lot of people out tonight, but she's managed to avoid hitting anyone, while I struggle just to keep up. This time, she's stopped outside a candy store and walks inside. I look inside and feel my teeth turn to dust. This has got to be the biggest candy shop I have ever seen, there are mountains and tons of candy stacked on top of each other. Is that . . . oh I think it is, there is a chocolate fountain right in the middle of the store.

There's probably a dozen girls in there, but I can't seem to find Sakura anywhere. Two girls in our school uniform look down at me and give me a weird look, but I ignore them, I'm still searching for that pink-haired freak. Actually, I'm starting to feel a little bad for calling her a freak, but there isn't another term that describes her perfectly and being a freak isn't such a bad thing anyways.

Finally, I find her all the way in the back where the gummis are and watch her fill two bags – _two bags_ – of gummy worms, gummy bears, gummy sharks, you name it. Everything and anything thats chewy and stretches were being put into those bags. Next, she's moved onto the chocolates and only takes the milk and white. I'm guessing she doesn't like dark chocolate, which I think is totally weird because everyone knows dark chocolate is the best kind out there.

After she's done, she grabs a free strawberry and dips it into the chocolate fountain. She takes it out and twirls it a couple times to let it dry. What happens next makes my mouth go completely dry; slowly, she raises the chocolate-dipped strawberry to her mouth and takes a small bite. Her pupils are so dark, I can see them enlarge with pleasure. My lips suddenly feel chap and I lick them wet. She takes another bit, but this time it's a little larger and she closes her eyes to savor the flavor. I feel my eyes slip too, but force myself to keep them open so I don't miss anything.

Her eyes scan the remain piece of the strawberry as if it were prey. My face is pressed right into the glass and impatiently wait for her to make her finally move. And oh how glorious it is. She pops it into her mouth and let's it sit in there for a couple seconds. I can just imagine it now, the chocolate melting onto her tongue, sending her taste buds into a frenzy, before sliding to the back of her throat. Her jaw starts to move and she's chewing the strawberry before swallowing it. After that she goes to the front, weighs all her candy, and pays for everything wordlessly.

I move away from the store and hide behind a tree. She comes outside and closes the door. Stuffing everything into her messenger bag, she takes a spoonful of yogurt and eats it while skating away. This time, I choose not to follow her and instead take a seat on one of the patios. My head is still reeling from the innocent, but extremely sensual show back there. I have no idea what's come over me or why I was thinking how good she looked eating that strawberry, but all I know is that I will never look at the piece of fruit the same way ever again.

I bury my head in my hands and pull at my hair. I am not some crazy, hormonal teenager who gets turned on my simple female behavior. My name is Sabaku Gaara, honor student at Blue Leaf Academy, first place winner of last year's science fair, and drummer for Tailed Beast. I do _not_ get turned on by miss Haruno Sakura, no matter how sexy she may be. No, wait, I did not mean to say that. Miss Haruno is not and will not ever be sexy in my eyes. Ever.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?"

I look up and see Naruto standing before me with a cup of frozen yogurt in hand. He offers it to me, but I shake my head. He takes a seat next to me and gives me this look to spill my thoughts. I scoff at that, as if I'll ever let this fool into my head.

"I'm just really tired."

"You sure look like it, where'd you go anyways?"

"I thought I saw someone."

He grins at me, "Was it Sakura?"

"No."

My voice is stern and harsh, but he knows I'm lying and continues to smile. He takes another mouthful of yogurt and tilts it towards me.

"You sure you don't want some? It's chocolate and banana, your favorite." He says this in a sing-song voice because it's the truth. I do like chocolate and banana together. I grab the spoon from him roughly and take the cup, scooping as much yogurt onto the spoon before eating it.

"You know, if you want to talk to her, just do it."

My eyes tell him to shut up, but he persists.

"It's not as if me and the guys are gonna say anything. Actually, we'd all appreciate it if you took Sakura on a date and get yourself laid."

I start to choke and make a move to hit him.

"I'm serious man, you're such a prude and way to temperamental to be a guy. I don't think drumming is giving you the release you really need."

"Shut up, you're one to talk. You're still a virgin too you know."

"Not anymore." He smiles like a boy in love and I almost puke.

"That's disgusting."

"No, that's awesome. Sex is awesome, especially with Hinata. You should go out there and get yourself some sex."

"Will you lower your voice? People can hear you!"

I look around to make sure no one's actually listening in on my stupid friend's suggestions.

"Who cares? We're young, ready, and willing! That's the life of a teenage rockstar!"

"If we're rockstars, why do we still play in your godfather's garage?"

"Hey, I'm working on getting us some gigs alright? After the big music heads hear us, we'll be rolling in the doe."

I finish the last of the yogurt and toss it in the bin, "Music isn't about making money, Naruto."

"Yeah, but's its definitely a perk. And speaking of perks, why don't you go slam a girl so that when we have band practice, you aren't yelling at everyone like a little bitch."

"Enough with the sex."

"I'll never get enough of that shit, man. Thing's better than getting high."

"You do know the repercussions of engaging in underage sexual activities right? You might carry an STD and infect Hinata with it, thus infecting others because she works at a daycare and she's always around children, or even worse, you could get her pregnant." Just the thought of twenty little Naruto's running around and screaming for ramen gave me the worse migraine.

"Damn, someone's got their panties in a twist. Does anyone around here have Haruno Sakura's number? I think we need to call her and have her give this guy a blow job."

For some unknown reason, I lunge at him and grab him by the collar. Something inside me snapped and all I saw right now was red. His words just pushed something bestial inside me, and the second he said Sakura's name, I went crazy. And yet, this moron actually as the audacity to smirk at me, I am so smothering his face with a pillow tonight.

"Aw, how cute. Gaara's coming to Sakura's defense, I think you really do like her."

I toss Naruto aside and throw my chair back, startling a few people. He's still smiling like a dope, because everything is just so funny to him. There's something going on inside that little head of his and I don't want to know what he's planning. Usually when I'm involved with his stupid ideas, I always end up on fire. Turning abruptly, I walk away from the scene and head back to the dormitories so I can cool my head off in peace.

"Don't you worry a thing buddy, I'll get her number for you!"

I think I'll also put his hand in cold water tonight.

* * *

><p><strong>Chocolate and banana is the shit man, best thing ever. And nutella and Vanilla.<strong>

**If you see a mistake, please _kindly_ inform me and I will fix it right away.**

**Love ya!**


	4. Chapter 4: beautiful girl

Mirror, mirror, who is the most beautiful in the world?  
>Mirror, mirror, am I the prettiest in the world?<br>Just for today, tell me that I'm the most beautiful

**OOO**

I have two grandkids, they're twins; a little girl and a boy. Hyunah is four and twenty minutes, her brother Yun is four and nineteen minutes. I'm not the most open person nor am I easy to deal with, but I have unconditional and irrevocable love for them and my entire family. I've never told my wife I love her, I've never told my children either for that matter, because I've always found that actions run deeper than words. For instance, I know Sakura enjoys eating Nutella with vanilla and snicker bars, so every weekend I buy some and make it for her. My first born is a vegetarian, she's also a huge animal rights advocate, which is why I am have three dogs and two cats. Honestly, she goes out and finds these stray animals and brings them home, it's a complete nightmare. She's been doing this for over fifteen years and has no plans to stop anytime soon. Even though it's very troublesome (curse you Shikamaru), I respect that and make it a point to take her to a nice, vegan restaurant whenever she comes to visit.

Today after we clean the house, I think I will take Sakura out to the park. I know she enjoys being outside than indoors, because she's always been the tree-hugger of the family. My son takes after her and has recently added solar panels on our roof so that we have clean, efficient energy that doesn't harm the environment. I have yet to learn how to use those things. But anyways, Sakura likes to take pictures of things. Anything, really. It doesn't even have to be pretty, it could be the ugliest thing in the world, and she'll still take out her Nikon and snap a picture. She tells me she enjoys being surrounded by beautiful things and hangs tons and tons of her photos around the house. But I tell her, and I'll always tell her; she'll always be beautiful to me.

* * *

><p>Despite living not even a block away from the school, I like to get there early so I can beat the rush of students that always manage to arrive late. As I wait by the stop light for the signal to turn white, I feel someone walk up next to me. I turn my head and almost jump out of my skin. Sakura is standing next to me, slouched of course, with headphones on and looking straight ahead. Her face is blank and eyes unusually bright. Her hair is tied into tiny pig tails and this time she's wearing dangling earrings with burgers on them. I don't know how long I've been staring at her, but I don't think she seems to care because she hasn't noticed me yet.<p>

I quickly look away and try to decide whether I should greet her or not. I don't want to seem like an asshole, but at the same time I don't want to give her a reason to talk to me. Then again, she doesn't talk to anyone so I guess there's not real harm in saying good morning. I stand a little closer to her, and cough into my hand. She doesn't hear me so I cough a little louder. Nope, still doesn't hear me. I get a little annoyed at this, but then I remember she has headphones on. At this point I don't know what to do, so I stand there like an idiot trying to decide my next move, but the street light does it for me.

She's suddenly gliding her way across the street and I realize she's wearing heelys. She's already on the other side of the street and heading straight for the entrance gate. For some reason, I really wanted her grab her attention, and now that I don't have it; I feel like a cat dropped in freezing water. I'm now moody and aggravated, not that it's any different from how I usually am, but it feels way more intense this time. And it's all thanks to her!

I stop by the school cafe to get myself a scalding cup of coffee to calm myself and give me that jolt of energy I'll need to survive the day. To get to statistics class I have to walk past the 'lover's garden,' which is basically the terrace with a shit ton of flowers and where all the couples of the school make out until a teacher catches them. Once in a while I'll see kids, at seven in the morning, raping each other's mouth as I make my way up the stairs. By then I'm ready to puke my brains out and my day kind of gets ruined at that point. However, this morning is a little different. Instead seeing a couple, I see pink hair and a kuromi backpack.

Her back is to be and she isn't moving at all. I step into the garden, careful not to let her hear my footsteps, and stop when I'm about a foot away. Her slouching is a bit more prominent, like she's trying to bend down. I think she's looking at something on the floor, but this time I don't think it's because it looks interesting. It's so eerily quite, her music is turned off and not even those stupid birds are tweeting right now. I don't know what's wrong or what's happening, and to be honest, it's kind of freaking me out.

At this point I don't know how much longer I can take, so I speak out first.

"Hey Sakura, you okay?"

She shrugs and now I can see something is wrong.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

There's genuine concern in my voice and I'm slightly surprised at that. She must have taken notice too because she peeks at me over her shoulder. I can see her eye through her bangs, but she isn't really looking at me. She seems distant, lost in her own musing.

"Why would anyone do this?"

Her voice sends chills down my back, and not in a good way. It's hollow, and so full of sadness I could practically feel the pain. My heart felt like it was beating slower, like something cold was gripping my heart to the point where it could stop any minute. The air around me suddenly became thicker, and I was more aware of how close we were than ever before.

She turns around and slowly, ever so slowly, crouches down and cradles her legs. I move to her side and get down as well, then my eyes land on it. The very thing that was creating the great depression around us. It was a kitten, a dead kitten. It couldn't have been older than a few days, but it's torso was flattened, like someone ran it over with a bike. I didn't know what to say, I felt bad or course, but I was very limited to the act of comfort. Suddenly I wished Naruto was here so say a few words, he always knew how to cheer people up, even when they were especially down.

I turn to Sakura and see she's so intently focused on the dead kitten that her ears start to turn red. She hasn't blinked in over two minutes and I'm beginning to worry about her. I set my drink down and take off my ear muffs. I don't know where this sudden rush of courage came from, but I lean in and put them on her. She doesn't flinch or jolt, but keeps on looking at the animal. I lean back and grab my drink again. Mornings in spring are always cold, despite how hot it gets later, so that last thing I'd want her to do is get sick in the middle of class.

"Thank you." I hear her say softly.

"I think we should get to class now."

I try and persuade her to leave, but she's fully intent on staying right where we are.

"I can't leave it here."

"Yes you can."

She looks at me with those eyes and I try not to reel back from how angry they look. Her face hasn't changed at all, it's still set in that stoic and depleted expression, but not her eyes. They're become even righter, scarier. I feel like my insides are burning, this intense heat that just suddenly came out of nowhere is consuming me as I stare back at her. Something is choking me, I can't breathe at all. The air is being squeezed right out of my lungs, I think I'm suffocating. My fingers start to turn blue and my skin is blistering from this blistering fever. But I can't look away, and even though my brain is telling me to look anywhere but her eyes, I can't move. It's as if she's got me in a trance, a death spell.

"No, I can't."

Out of nowhere, I place my shaking hand on top of hers and the burning stops. I feel sweat slide down the side of my face and I can finally breathe again. She's looking at my hand now and a wave of fresh air washes over me, cooling down my sweltered body. My lungs are on fire from lack of oxygen, they're screaming at me to suck in as much air possible. I don't know what the hell just happened, but what I do know is that I never want to be caught in that haze ever again. And the worst part was that I wasn't in pain, in fact, it was the most blissful feeling in the world. I felt so good despite burning from the inside out. My body and brain just became two separate things, while one part told me to run, another commanded me to stay and enjoy this feeling until I died.

Oh shit, I was dying wasn't I? I could have died right here, right now and no one would have known. I look back at Sakura and see she's not looking at my hand anymore, it's returned to the kitten. Instead of being angry for. . .whatever the hell she did to me, I pity her instead. I just can't bring myself to be mad at her. There was this aura of heartbreak and innocence around her that I didn't know what to do. I realized I haven't let go of her hand, but she hasn't said anything about it so I keep holding on.

I squeeze her, which is the closest thing to my condolences she's ever going to get. I'm not good with people and I don't know how to properly act around others, so I just go with what seems best. She looks up at me again, a little hesitantly this time. Her eyes are full of grief, but also remorse. She's trying to tell me she's sorry for what she's done, and somehow I end up feeling guilty, as though I was the one who did something wrong.

I shake my head, "It's whatever, I was being a little insensitive."

"You can leave if you want, I wouldn't want you to be late for class."

A huff escapes me, "Class doesn't start for another fifty minutes. I think I'll be okay."

"Then why did you want me to leave with you?"

I answer without thinking, or any knowledge as to where it came from, "Because I don't want to see you looking so pathetic and sad."

She shrugs, "I've always looked this way."

"Now that's just depressing." I take my hand back and rise to my feet, expecting her to do that same, but she's stubborn and refuses to budge. I sigh and take a long sip of my coffee. This was certainly going to be a long day.

"All life is precious, no matter how big or small it is. It is the beauty of life that makes Earth glow and the other planets envious, because they lack what this world has."

I raise a brow bone, "And what would that be?"

She reaches out and touches the kitten's eyelid, "Love."

I stop drinking midday and lower my cup. Her words weren't supposed to have this much of an impact on me, but they do. Her words weren't supposed to bring back memories of a lost childhood where my mother was still alive and my father wasn't such a totally prick, but they do. I feel the weight of something deep and forbidding growing inside me. It feels like the entire world is looking down at me, and it makes me want to lash out at something. But not her, never her, because even if I don't know who she is, I feel like she doesn't truly belong here.

This school is a giant prison, the teachers are the armed guards, the students are the inmates. She is the innocent victim, put in here either by mistake or against her will. As I watch her continue petting the kitten, I feel myself earn for that kind of affection. It is something I have been deprived up for such a long time. I don't know what's come over me, but I set all my belongings down and open my backpack, taking out several pieces of napkins. Moving to the side of the kitten, I wrap my hands in the napkins and pick up the animal.

Her eyes follow my every movement, curiosity etched onto her face.

"The agriculture department is always open around this time, we can gab a box and put it inside. We can bury it if you want."

She nods and stands up. Suddenly, I feel a rush of pure happiness and joy flow through me and it takes me a moment to control myself before I start gagging; it was both disturbing and euphoric. Before I can say anything about it, she's moving forward and out of the garden, expecting me to follow. I almost call out to her, but she's already heading towards the school farm.

When we get there, there isn't anyone around and it's just as quite here as it was in the garden. Her steps are light and almost weightless as she glides to the door. Checking to make sure no one is looking, she opens the padlock, and goes inside. I lean sideways to get a look inside, but her hand pops out an beckons me inside. I double check one more time to make sure there isn't anyone around and join her in the barn.

It feels humid in here and really, really damp, but I think that might be because of the cows. A couple sheep look up and call at us, but go back to eating their food as we pass by them. Sakura scurries to the supplies in the back and digs through the mess like a tiny, little mouse. She disappears for a second, underneath all the pile of rubbish, and bursts through the mountain of hay not a moment later. There's a box in her hand, it's white and medium sized; a perfect fit for this kitten.

She opens the box and I put it inside. After she shuts the lid, I quickly discard of the napkins and turn back to her. She's staring at the box like it's the most horrendous thing in the world. I look at her a little more closely almost jump back in horror. I'm probably just imagining things and overacting, but it looks like her eyes are sinking into the back of her head. The puffiness underneath her eyes swell up a little, and her dark circles are getting darker. I stand there rather awkwardly, my body leaning back, and watch her unfold right before my eyes.

But just as quickly as it starts, everything suddenly stops. Her eyes are back to normal and she's looking up at me like nothing out of the ordinary just happened. I open my mouth several times to say something, but nothing comes out. I'm at a total loss for words, nothing can describe what just happened. This is probably the icing on the cake, and it's not even eight yet. I think I might need some more coffee.

"Where can we bury it?"

"I-I, uh. . . what?"

She cocks her head to the side, and looks at with this blank expression. It makes me like I'm some kind of idiot.

"Where. Can. We. Bury. The. Kitten."

I growl and almost lash out at her for talking to me like an three year old, but I bite my tongue and sigh instead.

"We can go to the back, no one's going to notice."

I grab a shovel and we both head to behind the barn house. She picks a nice spot near the giant pond that no one goes to and sits on one of the boulders. I start to dig, and even though I'm getting dirt all over my new shoes, I can't bring it in myself to complain at all. After a few minutes of silence, minus my grunting, the hole is done and deep enough for the box to fit. I look up and jump a little; she's looking right at me. I really wish she would show some emotion, hell, even I've been known to smile every now and then.

"Wanna say a few words before we say goodbye?"

She jumps down from her spot and looks at the box in her hand.

"His name was Max and his eyes were blue."

"How do you know?"

"I don't, I just made it up."

"Okay. . ."

"He also does not like the sound of thunder, or the taste of beef."

I cough into my hand as a way to cover up my laugh.

"And may I ask why Max does not like the taste of beef?"

"Because he's a vegetarian."

At this point there is no reason for me to hide my amusement. The corners of my lips curl and I watch as she takes out a pink sharpie and writes some things onto the makeshift casket. Her handwriting is neat and she writes in cursive. The kanji are meticulous, like a seasoned pro. I'm just a little envious, my kanji has always been terrible and I don't even remember half the ones I learn. Then out of nowhere, she starts writing something down in circles and lines on the very bottom of the box. It looks alien, not that I'm surprised or anything, she is a little weird after all.

"What's that?"

"A sharpie."

Don't get mad, Don't. Get. Mad.

"I mean the writing on the bottom."

"It's hangul."

"What's hangul?"

"The native alphabet of the Korean language."

Oh, that's right, she used to live in Korea.

"What's it say?"

"Even if the sky falls, there is always a hole for you to escape."

I think that over for a second and have no idea what that means, "What?"

"There is always hope."

She gently places the box into the ground and steps aside. I push the dirt pile into the ground, covering everything, and pat the earth a couple times. We stand there for a second, praying for the soul of the deceased kitten to safely make it's way into heaven. There are blue and yellow lilies in the pond, and she carefully takes them and places them on top of the grave. I feel like I should be doing something too, but I dug a grave, I think that should be enough. Hopefully.

"Thank you."

I rub the bridge of my nose.

"It's nothing."

"No, it's everything."

Her eyes are on me again, but they look softer. It feels like something's caressing my insides, and it's a little strange. I feel detached from my body, like my soul's drifting off somewhere else. I'm pretty sure this is the closest thing to nirvana I'm ever going to get, because I'm so out of this world right now. The ground feels like it's spinning, and I have this desperate urge to spin with it, because for some odd reason; it'll make me very happy. I don't think I can take this anymore, all these random emotions suddenly making me feel things I never felt before; it's way too much for me to handle.

Rays of light begin to peek out from behind the grey clouds and shine in the background. It looks like one of those crappy romance novels I catch my teacher reading sometimes, but it sure does fit the mood. I've never noticed it before, but her eyes are so big. It's a shame she's always got this bored, sleepy look going on because I'm sure she'd be more approachable if she actually opened up her eyes all the way. But right now, I can't think about anything else except how fucking beautiful she looks.

"Excuse me?"

Shit, I said that out loud didn't I?

"Yep."

Someone please kill me.

"I think you should stop talking."

I shut my mouth so tightly, my teeth are practically squishing each other. I turn my head to the side, because I don't think I can handle these intense emotions I get whenever she looks at me. Right now, all I want to do is get myself another cup of steaming coffee, clean my shoes, and get to class. I'm pretty sure by now people are starting to pour in.

"Shall we go to class?"

I nod and turn to walk away. Sakura is at my side once again, and this sudden elation I feel isn't coming from her either.

* * *

><p><strong>The kitten thing did happen to me, it was very sad. I was walking to Anaheim comic con when we passed by a hotel and we saw a dead kitten outside with it's torso flattened. It was very traumatic.<strong>

**Next chapter will be longer, I promise. It'll also be really in depth. **

**If you see any mistakes, please _kindly _let me know and I will gladly fix it.**


	5. Chapter 5: stand up girl

_Wake at dawn with a winged heart_

_and give thanks for another day of loving_

**OOO**

The second time I ever saw Sakura cry, her pet canary had died. It was devastating to watch, and I didn't quite understand why she was so heartbroken over a little bird, but that was because I didn't understand the significance of it. Her grandfather had given her the canary as a birthday present, two weeks before he passed away. He had a long and healthy life, until he had succumbed to colon cancer. Her parents often left her alone because their work took them to other countries around the world, but he was always there for her and that bird was the closest thing she had left of him after he was gone. She named the it Lucy, because she and her grandfather were both fans of that American show; I love Lucy.

After that day, I vowed never to never let a tingle tear drop fall from her eyes ever again. When I told her this, she laughed and shook her head. She said sadness and pain were a necessary part of growing up, of being human. I didn't really understand what she meant at that time, but as life when on and we grew older, I began to realize what it truly meant to be human. It wasn't just about surviving, or being alive; it was about living. Existing was one thing, but breathing, thinking, learning, and growing . . . I began to appreciate all the little things I've always ignored. For instance, I hate winter. I hate snow and being in the cold. But the beauty that blossomed out of that frigid wasteland was breathtaking. I would never have known that each snowflake was different from the other is Sakura hadn't pointed it out. For once in my life, I had finally opened my eyes.

* * *

><p>It is now two o'clock and the distant bell tower rings for the end of school.<p>

I have a three o'clock exam in chemistry today and I am so not looking forward to it. Despite being the one of the top five students at school, science is not my forte. I can slide by with a low A and still keep my high GPA, but it's still preventing me from actually being number one; that position unfortunately belongs to the gloomy bastard Uchiha. The smug little ass hardly has to study for his tests, he's just gifted like some holy being and passes everything without even trying. Yet another reason why I can't stand him. Okay, enough hating on someone who isn't worth my time, I hate to start concentrating on what really matters right now. After english I think I'll head to the cafe and get myself a chilled latte, then go to the library for some last minute studying.

Most people are already taking off and heading back home right now, because they only take five or six classes; I'm taking seven. I want to get all my classes out of the way and quickly get out of this school. Not that I hate place or anything, I just hate the people. The girls talk too much, and the handful who don't are the ones who get picked on. The guys are too juiced up on sex and drugs to even think about anything remotely related to their studies. Of course, I am being bias and stereotyping, like I always am. I know not everyone is like this, but for some reason I always end up meeting the people who make want to shoot them in the face. The "smart" kids are ones either inside the library or in the middle of class. I've heard some of them even take eight classes, geez. They're too afraid to socialize outside their group and prefer to stick together rather than branch out and make friends.

These kids are the poster children for scholarships and grants, because they come from middle and working class families that can barely pay their rent. I would probably be put under this category, but I don't come from a poor family. My father is the CEO of a pharmaceutical corporation, and before my mother passed away, she was a very popular seamstress. I don't get along with my dad, so I didn't take his money when he offered to pay for my schooling. I shed precious blood and sweat to get where I am now and would be damned if I took the easy way out, unlike some people.

I pass by the lockers in the south wing and hear some voices, most likely girls from the way they're snickering. There's also some scuffling and things thrown around and their laughing becomes louder. They're probably bullying someone into doing their homework for them and I can't help but scoff at their antics. Honestly, is it that hard to pick up a pencil and think for yourself? I don't like being a part of any confrontation so I quickly walk by without a second glance; until I see a familiar pink-haired weirdo being backed into a corner.

"Listen you freak-"

Hey, _I'm _the only who is allowed to call her that.

"-I don't know who the hell you think you are, but Sasuke-kun is ours."

I lift a brow bone and hide behind the lockers.

There are three girls, one with purple hair, another with black, and the middle one yelling something fierce into Sakura's face is Karin. I know that for sure because she's in my english class, all she does is draw hearts with her name and Sasuke's in it. It's a tad but disturbing and I almost feel bad for the Uchiha. Wait, no I don't. He deserves a crazy bitch like her. But right now, she needs to back the hell away from Sakura before I do something I know I won't regret later on.

She doesn't say anything, and stands against the wall with a slouch and keeps her eyes glued to the ground. Even though it looks like she's being submissive, her body language says otherwise. Her arms are crossed over her chest like she's bored, she's leaning on her side and clearly not taking this "fight" seriously. I smirk at the sight, it truly is hilarious. I don't think she's a fighter, hell, from what the way she reacted yesterday with the dead kitten, I'd say she's more of a peace-loving hippie.

However, that info probably just helped fuel the flame to my growing aggravation. I wanted to step in, for some odd reason, and help the poor thing out but at the same time I didn't want to deal with a bunch of harpies yelling at me with their high pitched voice. I think this could probably help Sakura, in a way. Maybe this confrontation will force her to stop being so emotionless and actually start acting like a human being.

"Why won't you say anything!"

Or not.

They shove her harder against the wall. Her eye twitched a little, it was miniscule and almost invisible to someone who wasn't paying close attention, but I could see it, the way she flinched. Something inside me snapped at that moment, I don't know why, but I was suddenly overcome with this need to protect her and shield her from those girls. I felt my face heat up from anger and clenched my fists so hard my knuckles turned white. My body was ready to move and jump into the fight when I saw her shift.

She was not longer leaning against the wall nor staring at the floor. Her back straightened and she was no longer slouching. I don't really think it would have made much a difference anyways because she's still incredibly short. Nonetheless, her eyes held this dark gleam when she looked at those girls. I wondered if she was planning to assault them with those raging emotions like she did to me a couple days ago; I still haven't figured out how she'd done that. She was no longer crossing her arms, but shoved them into her pocket and fingering something on the left side.

Those girls must have noticed too because they backed up a little, but still held their ground. The ring-leader jabbed a finger into Sakura's face, and though I can not see her face, I know she's sneering. Not that it's any different from how she always looks, she always has a sour expression on her face.

"Is that a knife in your pocket? I'll tell the teacher and you'll be suspended!"

Sakura wasn't listening apparently, and slowly took the item out of her pocket. The other two girls huddled behind Karin and started to scream, much to my aggravation, when she finally pulled out the mysterious thing.

"Mom, I'm going to be a little late for practice."

I face palmed. I also almost hit my head against the locker, this girl was unbelievable. Here she was, in the middle of a fight, and she still has the audacity to call her mother. I knew she didn't have a fight in her. I guess I really do have to go over there and get her out.

"No, I'm quite alright, I just have some business to take care of before I go. Bye."

She hung up and put her cellphone back into her pocket, after which she bent down and proceeded to pick all her things up from the ground and put them into her bag. It almost seemed as if she had forgotten where she was and who she was being harassed by.

"Hey, we're not done here!"

"Yes, we are."

Her voice sends chills down my spine, and from the way the other girls back up; I'd say they're just as affected as I am. Her pitch never changes, it's still just as flat as it was not a second ago. When she finished putting everything away, she stood up and once again looked at the girls with her head held high. She takes one step forward, they take two back. She takes another, and another, and another until finally they're standing in the middle of the empty hallway. I watch with eager anticipation, hoping she'll do something horrible and grotesque. Well, no, just something horrible. I really need to stop watching Fight Club.

I could see Karin puffing out her chest, trying to look intimidating, but failing miserably. Everyone could see right through her act; she was as cowardly as she was stupid. Sakura may not be much of a fighter, but she certainly knows how to intimidate others and stand her own. I'm got to say, I'm impressed, and I'm hardly ever impressed. Maybe there was more than meets the eyes when it comes to this girl.

She doesn't speak for a whole two minutes and just stares at Karin. I don't know if they can see, or even notice for that matter, but her pupils look like they're breathing. They get bigger and then smaller, bigger and smaller. One second they're dilated, and then they're not. I know I should be creeped out by this, because I was pretty traumatized the last time I saw her eyes doing something weird, but for some reason they look pretty cool right now.

"Well, aren't you going to say anything?"

Her pink head nods and she clears her throat.

"Do not talk to me, do not look at me; don't make any contact with me whatsoever."

And with that she is done. She brushes pass the stunned silent girls and walks down the hall, back slouched, headphones on, and shoes lighting up with each step. I actually start smiling, who knew pinky over here had a backbone made of steel. Her words weren't just a threat; they were a warning, and you'd have to be a totally idiot to ignore them. I wonder what else she has hidden beneath that dull, humdrum visage of herself. I don't stay to hear what they have to say, but I can hear their screaming as I run through the courtyard and through the southern gate. My body is moving on its own and my feet are taking me somewhere I can't see. I'm going without knowing where, but with every step I take I feel like I'm reaching my destination.

Then I see it, the reason for my outlandish behavior and why I'm trying so hard to catch my breath. She's sitting on a bench in the loading zone, where parents can pick up their kids, with a few other students scattered here and there. Her headphones are still on, but there's a pretty thick book sitting on her lap, I highly doubt that is for some light reading. I can feel myself cool down a bit from my exertion, but it's still hot so I take off my uniform jacket and pop a few buttons open on my shirt.

My heart is pounding in my ear, but I can't tell if it's because I just ran across the school or because I was walking towards Sakura. I take tentative steps, my feet feel heavy and I don't to rush myself. All those weeks of pent up frustration and lack of interaction have started to unravel, and now all I really want to do is talk to her. I don't know how long I've been walking, but now I'm standing at her side. The book she's readings looks pretty old and worn out, like she's been through it plenty of times already. The binding is breaking and the pages are tinted green and brown. She turns a page and I can see some water marks on some of the words. I wonder how interesting this book is or how loud her music is playing because even after I've cleared my throat loudly a couple times, she hasn't looked up once.

It is only after I kick her shoe that she looks up. I wish her face wasn't so blank, that I can be as nonchalant as her. However, unfortunately, I am the only one affected by our proximity and thus I fail to come up with anything to say other than a simple 'hey.' She responds without any convictions and returns to her book. I take a seat and watch her read for a few seconds. It is then that I notice the words aren't in Japanese, they aren't even in Chinese. They don't look like hangul, which I now what it looks like, or even english. In fact, they don't look like any language I know of.

I'm the one who approached her, I'm the one who took the initiative to seek her out when I could have walked away and sit next to her – yet I have absolutely nothing to say. My mouth opens a few times, but quickly snaps shut because everything just sounded so stupid. Sakura doesn't seem at all fazed by my being here and fails to notice my discomfort. I know I shouldn't expect her to say anything, but I really want her to talk. At least until I come up with something to say myself.

She flips a page.

Who am I kidding? This girl could probably out silence a rock. I don't even think she's bothered with me staring at her so intently, hell, even I'm getting weirded out by it. I look away and shove my hands into my pocket. I did plan on going to the library to study for my test, but suddenly all of that seemed to trivial now that I'm with Sakura. Which is totally unseemly of me because studying is one of the most important things I do. I hear a page turn and peek at what she's looking at. It is a diagram of some sort, a human body in the center and notes scribbles on the side. There are labels and charts pointing at parts all over the body, it kind of reminds of the _Vitruvian Man _except this person didn't have a face or genitalia. Again, the language is alien to me so I have no idea what it says.

On the upper right hand corner there is a symbol in red. It looks like a triton, but it has four spikes instead of three, and a crown encircling the middle two. I don't know what to make of it, it looks pretty satanic, but high doubt this girl worships the devil. She lingers on this page and seems to be entranced by it. She's sitting so still I would almost think she's asleep, I kind of want to poke her just to see how she'll react. But I know she won't do anything, so I don't even bother.

Finally, she turns the page and the symbol is there again. Except this time its is on a person's arm and the diagram is now of a human torso. If I were someone else and simply passing by, I would have thought she were reading an anatomy book, but this thing looks more than just an ordinary textbook. The next couple pages are of the same thing, different sections of the human body, all labeled and such. But that symbol is there, it's always there, engraved on the skin or bone or some part of the body. It's driving me insane, all the weird letters and body parts, not to mention that stupid symbol.

"What is that?"

I hadn't even realized I said that until it finally let my mouth. At least I've broken the awkward silence.

"What is what?"

"That symbol, what is it?"

She's silent for a minute, I think she's trying to come up with the best way to explain it to me. I feel like even if she wrote it all out and drew me some pictures, I still won't understand.

"It is one of the three royal coat of arms."

"Doesn't look like any coat of arms I've ever seen, which country is it from?"

"From a small country," She hesitates for a moment, "Up north, near greenland."

That was a bit puzzling, "I wasn't aware there were any monarchs up there, what's the country's name?"

"I. . .forgot."

Whatever, I shrug and leave it at that. I have this feeling she doesn't want to get into it right now.

"What exactly are you reading? I don't think it belongs to the school."

"It's not, this book belongs to me."

"Looks pretty old."

"It has been in my family for many generations."

She carefully closes the book and tucks it into her bad, then turns off her ipod but leaves the headphones on. I'm probably just bothering her right now, but I can't bring it in myself to leave. There's something pulling me towards her and I don't what it is that draws me to her. I've never spoken this much to anyone save a few of my friends, and even then I'm never this polite or nice for that matter. When I'm around her, everything is fuzzy and I feel I should watch what I say less I piss her off again.

"I know you were there."

Shit.

"Where?"

I've never feigned innocent before, but this girl's got me doing things I've never done in my life. Her head turns a little and she's looking at me through her bangs, "Behind the lockers."

I turn stiff for a second, feeling rather foolish that I was caught spying. Perhaps she's mad at me for not interfering or helping her, but I don't sense any anger from her so I guess she doesn't care. I don't think I can play it off by acting cool or like I don't give a fuck, because I know she'll see right through me. My heart is beating so hard against my ribcage I think it might burst out of my chest and make a run for it. I bet my ears have turned red my now, they always do that when I get embarrassed. Now I feel like a three year old who got caught stealing cookies before dinner.

"I was only passing by when I saw."

"I know."

She doesn't say anything else and seemingly ends the conversation. However, there is one thing that has been bugging me ever since then and the more I keep mum about it the more irritated I become. I know I don't have any right to be feeling this way because Sakura is her own person and she can talk or hang out with whomever she wants to, she is her own person. I am nothing more but a friend . . . actually, I'm not even sure if we are friends. Okay, we are just friendly acquaintances who have shared more memorable moments together than I have ever with Naruto.

The point is, I have no idea why I'm jealous.

"What is he to you?"

At least my voice came out hard, I don't think it gave out any indication of how I'm really feeling at the moment. She quirks an eyebrow and I almost burst out laughing, nearly ruining a serious moment. I have never seen her do that before, and it's such a bizarre thing to see. The corners of my mouth twitch a little and it's taking everything in me to not outright smile. It reminds me of a car wreck, you just can't help but keep staring. She keeps looks at me without saying a word, I don't think she knows who I'm talking about.

"Uchiha Sasuke, I heard those girls mention him."

She closes her eyes and nods. A deep breath escapes her nostrils and I can tell she's annoyed. I don't blame her, if I had to deal with Karin and her army of skanks; I'd be ready to murder someone. There is a little ball of sympathy for her, she's new here and I know she's only had a few weeks to adjust to everything, so making enemies with Sasuke's fangirls has probably set her standards on this school.

"He needed help on a problem and asked for my assistance. He thanked me after class in the hallway."

My eyes widened in shock. First of all, the great Uchiha "asswipe" Sasuke actually needed help with something? It probably had to do with his huge ego. Secondly, I wasn't aware the he had the capability to talk to anyone of the opposite sex. I know I have my problems with girls, but at least I'm not as brutal to them as he was, especially to his devoted followers. And thirdly, why the hell did he have to thank her in front of everyone? Of course people are going to see, and of course people are going to start talking.

Even if was something as small as that, people liked to gossip, and around here gossip spread like wild fire. You could easily become the most popular person one day, and public enemy number one the next. I'm probably just assuming things, but I have a feeling by tomorrow, Sakura's going to be the most hated person in the entire school.

"No wonder they attacked you."

She shrugs and looks out into the distant. The events of today doesn't seem to faze her and I bet she's more annoyed than scared. I don't know what will happen tomorrow or how people will treat her, but thinking about other girls, and maybe even guys, pushing her against the wall and screaming in her face sets ablaze in me. I don't have any classes with her tomorrow, so I can't be there to protect her. Maybe I can ask Naruto watch out for her, I know they've grown pretty close since we've first met.

There's some part of me that wants to know what she's thinking, because she's unpredictable. I know what her behavior is like and how she acts, but everything else is such a mystery. She's the complete polar opposite of me, but at the same time I see bits and parts of myself inside her. The silence I've always welcomed, the quite I thrive in, is almost unbearable when I'm with her.

"Who's picking you up?"

"My mom."

I sat a little straighter, this could be interesting, I wonder if the mother is just as abnormal looking as the child, "What time is she supposed to be here?"

She takes out her cellphone and slips it open, I am appalled to see how pink it is and how much decoration it is covered with. She has a teddy bear, a turtle, and a rabbit's foot as charms. The jeweleries light reflection was making my face look like a giant disco ball.

"Any minute."

I watch as a couple cars pulled up and some students getting into them. "I thought you lived in the dorms."

"I have piano practice at my house today."

Intriguing, "How long have you been playing?"

"A few years."

Her fingers are small and dainty, they do in fact look like a pianist's hand. "Have you played any shows?"

"A couple times. I don't particularly like playing to a large audience, but my father insists."

This time I shrug, "I play drums in a band, and I'd do anything to play for a crowd."

"Then why don't you?"

A bitter chuckle escapes my lips, "When I find out why I'll let you know."

She shifts her eyes to me again, "Naruto tells me he has found a show for your band to play at."

I lift a brow bone, "He never told me this."

"He said he was going to surprise you tonight."

I can't help but smile, she probably didn't realize she just ruined the surprise. But it's alright, my mood's already lightened up. "Maybe if you have time, you should come watch us."

She contemplates for a few seconds, "Maybe."

"And perhaps I'll go see one of yours."

Her deadpan stare completely destroys my attempt to push the boundaries between us. "I prefer if you didn't."

And yet I still laugh.

A black BMW pulls up in front of us and the passenger window rolls down. Sakura's finger uncharacteristically flexes into a fist and she's suddenly very tense. It's dark inside and I can't see anything, not even the driver. It almost feels like those lame action movies where people jump out of the car and kidnap the innocent bystander. I scoot, _just_ a little closer to her in case something like that does happen.

"Yoo hoo!" A loud, and very feminine voices comes out of the car. I lean in to see who it is, but something red and green jumps out and I almost fall back in surprise. "Sorry to keep you waiting darling, but mommy had to pick up your dry cleaning on the way here!"

There was a woman, she was so short I had almost mistaken her for a student, with deep crimson hair standing in the middle of the lot in a green tank top, hot pink shorts, and mix-matched boots. My eyes go back and forth between that strange looking woman and the bored looking girl.

"Sakura, my love, who is this boy you are sitting with?"

This lady, whom I presume to be the mother, is suddenly in my face and evading my comfort zone. Her eyes are big and bright, not to mention silver – it feels like she's looking right into my very soul. She's smiling rather disturbingly, and it's so bizarre it's making me feel kind of uncomfortable.

"This is Gaara, he is a classmate."

"Oh really? Are you two friends?" If it were any more possible, she's leaning in even closer to me.

I was about to answer, but Sakura beat me to it; "Yes."

"So he's your boyfriend."

I almost choke at the absurdity. Sakura gives her mom the same look she gives me when I say something stupid. But instead of being embarrassed, she throws her head back and laughs wildly.

"I'm only teasing." She extends her hand out to me and I take it with caution, "My name is Phantom, Sakura's mother."

They're both so weird, they must be related. I don't find this hard to believe. "Uh, nice to meet you."

"It's so nice to see my child finally making friends."

Okay, I feel a little bad for snickering. Sakura's hand covers her face and I faintly hear her counting backwards from ten.

"Can we please get a move on?" There is another voice coming from the car on the drivers side. I assume since the mother is here, then that person must be the father.

"Yes dearest! Come Sakura, we shan't be late for rehearsal!" She claps her hands twice and bounces back to the car, jumping in through the window to her seat.

She picks her things up and waves at me before going to the car. Even when it drives off, I can't help but stare after it. This has been a rather eventful day, so say the least, and it's only been half and hour. I've never met anyone with hair redder than mine, that's a first. I also realized Sakura came from a wealthy family. No one drives around in a European car in Japan without making bank, and from that model, I know her family is pretty wealthy. And yet, Sakura is more than just humble, she's actually likeable. In her own special way.

I suppose she did break my stereotype of the typical rich kid, in a way. As I stand up and gather my own things, somehow a smile crept it's way onto my lips. We were friends, she even said so herself. An joyous feeling swept through me and I felt more confident in myself. There was a shift somewhere, in our miniscule relationship, I know that after today things are going to be different between us.

Maybe I'm reading too far into this, but I haven't been this happy to make friends with anyone since I met Naruto and everyone else. That was years ago, things change, people change. Naruto changed me, I'm not quite as reserved as I once was, but so I figure maybe I can do the same with Sakura.

Tomorrow, I know something's going to go down. Karin is the queen of terror and can make anyone's life a living hell, even Sakura's. I have to do something, anything to keep her out of harm's way. It sounds so foolish, but teenagers are viscous beings that cut throats for fun and enjoy tormenting others. Despite her cool and disinterested composure, I know she's a softie inside. I can't imagine what a sad, or even worse crying, Sakura looks like because it doesn't seem at all fathomable. I would rather have her be and look the way she does everyday.

I guess what I'm trying to tell myself is that I do in fact care for one Haruno Sakura.

* * *

><p><strong>Is it long enough? Does it fulfill your every desire? <strong>

**My friend told me there is someone copy my Creature Feature Deki Cafe story. I've seen it, it even as the same title. Minus the 'Feature Deki' but I'm not point fingers or accusing anyone of anything. But I do find it quite amusing.**

**If you see any mistakes, please _kindly _let me know. **


	6. Chapter 6: plans with a girl

_You and I together_

_It just feels so right_

**OOO**

My first real concert in an actual arena was the year I turned twenty-one. Sakura was in the audience, somewhere. She's claustrophobic and hates large crowds, but she always makes an effort to come see my shows. That meant a lot to me, and I'll always love her for that.

Playing live, in a real show, to our fans was probably the most exhilarating moment of my life. Nothing felt better than being on stage and playing my drums. Wait, no; finally have sex with my girlfriend will always be the best. But anyways, I could still remember the blaring noise, the bright neon lights, Naruto screaming into the mic, and the stadium covered in a sea of red. I'm really glad I picked the band color, Naruto actually wanted it to be orange, _orange. _Sakura suggested pink, I almost broke up with her. _I'm _the leader, I call the shots! I may sound like a petulant child, but it's true.

A few months later, after several EP's, we release a studio album and a nation wide tour. I couldn't ask for anything better. You could say I was the happiest man alive. In all honesty, I did let the fame and money get to my head, and my arrogance was really starting to show. I know I put some people off and scared a few managers away, even got myself a few antis. My head would get over-inflated, sometimes to the point where I couldn't even walk through the door, and when I feel like I'm about to float into space, Sakura is always there to pop it for me with her fist of fury.

* * *

><p>We're having a school assembly today, oh joy. Juniors only, which means I don't have to deal with those irritating freshmens. I hate kids, I really do.<p>

I'm a little miffed that we have to cut sociology in half because of this stupid assembly, we were just getting to the best part. This week we're on social deviants and criminology. If I wasn't planing on majoring in music, I'd definitely get into that. Despite being terrible in science, I've always found forensics and murder mystery cases intriguing. Which is probably why I am a huge fan of those American shows like CSI and Law and Order.

I can already hear the marching band playing our school anthem and the cheerleaders screaming at the audience to spell out some words. It's all so troublesome . . . and now I am starting to sound like Shikamaru, wonderful.

Naruto is beside me, talking rather loudly on his cellphone with Hinata. Honestly, she's only in the line two rows away from us, if he wanted to he can just go. But then again he'd be leaving me alone in a vast ocean of human bodies and the last thing he'd want me to do is commit mass homicide. The line to get into the auditorium is moving slowly, oh so slowly. It's like with every two steps we take, we have to wait four minutes to take another. I have no idea what's taking so long just to find a seat, it's not as if there's a whole lot of juniors at this school.

A flurry of pink and blue catch my eye and I see a familiar body moving swiftly through the crowd. Those dangling hotdogs on her ears are a dead give away. How she managed to squeeze through these fat lards is beyond me. She's already inside and most likely sitting somewhere in a dark corner. Lucky brat. On the other side I see that blasted Uchiha, his eyes are also on her and he's quickly making his way through the mass of people to get to her.

Oh hell no, not if I get there first.

"Naruto, go to Hinata."

"Seriously?" There are stars and hearts in his eyes and I almost punch him.

"Yes you idiot." I leave him at that and shove my way past the mob.

Once inside I quickly scan the area until my eyes land on the messy pink bun of one Haruno Sakura. She's got stunner shades on, which I have no idea why because it's dark as hell in this place, and she's already got her headphones on. Trying not to seem like I'm in a desperate rush, I casually make my way towards her. I stop next to an occupied seat next to hers. The kid doesn't notice me until I make my presence known. He gives me one look before bolting up and making a run for it.

That's right, no one messes with me.

I sit down nonchalantly and try not to make eye contact with her. I don't to make it look like I want her attention, even though the whole reason for my being here _is _for her attention. I can't help but sigh, even when she isn't doing anything to me she's still making me feel flustered and foolish. I sneak a quick peek and she she's got an arm thrown behind the top of the chair and her legs crossed. She's chewing gum and scrolling through her ipod like she's some kind of boss or something. And she probably is. She's the only one here who isn't excited for this stupid assembly, well, her and a few other people.

Her skin looks like it's glowing, that's a bit odd. I know all the lights are turned off and the backdrop screen is on because of the online presentations, but her skin really does look like it's glowing. And it's not a nice color either, she's purple. Her skin is goddamn purple and no one but myself has noticed this. I look around me and sure enough, no one is paying attention because they're all listening to the head mistress's speech. I don't really think Sakura's paying attention either because she's texting on her cellphone and occasionally they'll be a green and red light flashing from the screen. She's totally playing pack-man.

Suddenly there's loud screaming and I nearly jump out of my seat. I growl in irritation and cover my ears before they start to bleed. Everyone's cheering for something, but I didn't bother knowing what. I feel like someone's watching me, because I always have this weird tingle in the back of my next when this happens, so I look over and sure enough; it's the Uchiha glaring right at me.

He's sitting four rows away, surrounded by his fangirls who are all themselves glaring at Sakura. I smirk and give him the finger. If looks could kill, I'd be a dead man. But since it can't, I bask in the glory that I beat out the Uchiha. I probably shouldn't push it, because I don't know what repercussions might ensue, but I've never really been one to care for such cautions so I lean over and tap Sakura's shoulder.

She looks up at me with a blank look. Her thumbs have stopped moving and the dash on her screen is waiting for her to finish her message.

"Why are you wearing glasses inside?"

She shrugs, "Because I feel like it."

The smirk never really left my lips, I could feel his eyes burning a hole through my head.

"You should listen to what the head mistress is saying."

She hits send and continues playing pack-man, "So should you."

"I already know what she's going on about."

"Oh really, then what may I ask is she talking about?"

I open my mouth, but immediately shut it. Turning back to the front, I can now see that the slideshow presentation is going on and for some reason, the head lady is showing tons and tons of pictures of Kyoto. At first I'm a little confused, because she's going on about respect and rule-breaking and something about paddle boards. I listen for a few more seconds before it finally hits me.

"Ah shit."

"What is it?"

I face palm and groan out loud. A couple people try to shush me, but I'm too preoccupied thinking up plans to escape this dreaded moment. I should have seen this moment coming the second they would us all juniors were to report to the auditorium. I look over at Sakura and she's staring at me with a quirked eye brow, waiting for my answer.

"It's the school field trip to Kyoto."

"That's it? I thought someone died."

"I'd prefer that."

She shrugs, "Could be worse."

My eyes narrow, "There is nothing worse than spending time away from home in a different city with a hundred plus kids you hate."

"You're being childish."

I scoff, "I am not childish."

I could practically _feel _her rolling her eyes and I had half a mind to smack her across the head. She didn't understand the monstrosity that was this stupid class trip. In freshmen year, they took us around the main districts of Tokyo and that was a complete nightmare. Several people ended up getting lost, the otakus stayed in Akihabara the whole day, the girls were only interested in shopping at Shibuya, and the teachers didn't know how to take control.

Sophomore year was even worse, we went to a red light district. Yeah, because meeting prostitutes and catching HIV is just so much fun and educational. They shouldn't make these trips mandatory, I don't see the point in going to any of these places other than to waste time. When I could be studying, I'm watching Naruto make a fool out of himself and getting us banned from every all-you-can-eat buffets in the city.

I suppose the only good thing that come out of these is that all the neighboring schools have to do this, which means I'm able to see all my friends without the hassle of driving back and forth between each town. I almost, _almost_, had a change of heart regarding this particular field trip now that I really thought about it, however, one look around the room and I realized I would also have to spend a long week with these morons.

"I've never been to Kyoto, I am quite looking forward to it."

Her voice breaks my train of thought and I see her chatting with a blonde girl. I think her name's Iho – no, it's Isho . . . Ino. That's right, Yamanaka Ino. Sometimes I forget her name because I honestly do not care. I know she's the girl who has a huge fancy for Shikamaru, I remember him telling me this once. My sympathies run deep.

"Really? It's a beautiful place, there's so much scenery and the food is amazing!"

"I've always wanted to try their takoyaki."

"Oh! That's my favorite!"

It's almost comical really, seeing her chat with someone other than myself. I know she's the quite type and usually avoids conversations with other people, so to know she's actually making an effort to act like a real human being says a lot. Or she could just be humoring Ino and not even care about what they're talking about. Either way it's nice to see her not being so quite.

"My name's Yamanaka Ino by the way, what's yours?"

"Haruno Sakura."

"It's nice to meet you!"

The blonde extended her hand, but she only met cold air. Sakura looked at the appendage like a scientist looked at a mutant animal. Though her shades covered half her face, her lips were drawn to a thin line. Ino cocked her head to the side and slowly brought her hand back, a weird expression present on her face.

"Um . . . so, are you new here? I haven't seen you around before."

"Yes."

"I notice you have an accent, where are you from originally, if you don't mind me asking."

"Japan. Then I moved to South Korea, and came back a few months ago."

"Wow! That' amazing! Does that mean you like kpop?"

Suddenly she's up in her face and I almost reach out to grab Sakura before she gets toppled over. I know if someone were to get up that close to me I'd punch the person square in the jaw.

"Yes."

"Like who?"

"Girl's Generation, 2NE1, and Big Bang to name a few."

She gasps, "I like them too, especially Big Bang; G-Dragon is so hot!"

After a minute of her nonsensical babbling, I am at my wits end and interrupt their little girl time.

"Yamanaka, can you lower your voice? I think the people in Alaska can hear you."

"Butt out Sabaku! I am in the middle of a very important conversation."

I roll my eyes, "I'm sure Taeyang appreciates you drooling all over his chest whole-heartedly, but I'm not exactly in the mood to watch you get off on your sick fantasies."

Her cheeks become as red as tomatoes and I take the utmost delight in embarrassing her. She's about to scream something about my big ears at me, why everyone likes to pick on my ears is still a mystery, when Sakura's phone vibrates. She lifts up her arm and flip open her cellphone, reading the text over Yamanaka's back.

"Oh, who's that, you're boyfriend?" She asks slyly.

I clench my fingers.

"No."

I release them.

"And now will you all please stand up and follow me to the courtyard where we will be assigning you your house teams!"

Everyone starts to stand up and follow the head mistress outside. I don't bother getting up until after the crowd dies down. I already know who's going to be in my group, it's been the same people year after year. There's always ten kids from Blue Leaf, four from North point, five from South, and three from Bridge Academy. I watch Sakura talk with Ino a while longer, she doesn't seem so into it, but I know she isn't detesting it.

It's quite strange really, I've only known her for two months but I've already become so in tuned with her behavior and body language. Like when she draws bats and milkshakes, she's hungry. Or when she tips her head to the right, she's irritated by something. Maybe I just watch her too much, maybe I'm a bit of a creeper, but she said we were friends so aren't friends supposed to know things like these? Probably not and I really am just a creepy stalker.

"Hey, wanna go check our names?"

She doesn't answer, but gets up and walks to my side. A warm feelings erupts in my chest and I try to ignore this feeling.

Ino waves goodbye and runs over to her other friends. It's just me and Sakura know, thank goodness. I can't find the Uchiha anywhere, so I'm assuming he's outside with his own group. I have to make sure she stays clear of him, I'm not stupid, I know he's going to try and convince her to be in his group. And since Sakura is so oblivious to everything, including the opposite sex, she'll agreeing without even thinking twice. Why would she do this? Because she doesn't care, and I only wish she would. At least for my sake.

As we walk outside, there's a small barbeque going on and I see Naruto dragging Hinata over to the food. I feel bad for the girl, one of these days she's going to end up as bloated as the vice principle and it'll all be her knucklehead boyfriend's fault. There are four booths up so that there isn't a huge line for just one and each has the same list of names. I motion with my head to go to the blue one and Sakura follows without word.

There is a deep desire within me, begging whatever gods that exist for Sakura to be placed in the same group as me. I know I said each year we are placed in the same group, but Sakura's new, so hopefully they'll make and exception and place her in mine. If she were in that bloody Uchiha's . . . my rage level is already escalating just thinking about it. I see him standing in line at the green booth, Karin glued to his side and sending snide little looks over at any girl who looks at her.

"Next!"

We're almost at the front and I cross my fingers. I usually don't hope for anything I know I can get myself, but this was in the hands of fate now and I hate gambling with chance. I hear vibration and Sakura starts texting again. Her handphones are around her next, but the shades are still on. At least her skin isn't glowing purple anymore, she looked like a human lava lamp. I haven't seen one of those since I last hit the bong and that was weeks ago.

I know it's wrong to invade someone's privacy, but I peek at her phone to see who she's texting. Great, it's in hangul. She's a quick typer and already sending the message before I can even look away. I can see that her left pinky is curled in, which means she's thirsty, and I don't blame her. We missed lunch because of that stupid assembly, I guess that's why they have a barbeque out for us.

There are some people around us who're jumping for joy, and crying oceans of tears. Seriously, we are grouped in the same team every year, why no one notices this is besides myself is beyond me. I turn back to Sakura, who is still slouching like always. She's going to have some serious back problems when she grows up. I remember what she said back in the auditorium and find it curious that she's never been to Kyoto. I've gone loads of time before this field trip and it's not as if we're that far away either.

As usual, I always let my curiosity get the better of me. "So, you excited for this trip?"

"Yes." She replies apathetically.

"How come you've never gone before?"

She shrugs, "I never really left my house that much when I lived here."

"Were you home schooled?"

She nods wordlessly. Well, that probably explains why she's so socially retarded. I figure most home school kids are since they're taught by mommy and daddy to be a living, breathing prodigy. I finger my home key and move with the line.

"It's nice, nothing special really except for the ancient temples and houses. If you're the into nature and all that stuff, you'll a lot of that there."

"How many times have you gone?" Her eyes are on me now, and the gold within them seem to shine.

I force myself not to lean in and get sucked into the vortex of green and gold, so I desperately look around for something else to focus on. "I've gone a few times with my brother and sister."

"What about your parents?"

I don't mean to, but suddenly I give her this vicious glare that I only use on people I truly loath. It's something like a defense mechanism. I don't like talking about my parents, and I hate it when people press the matter. Glaring at them with this look is the only way I can get everyone to shut up about it. However, this is Sakura, and she is unfazed by anything. She looks back at me with unblinking eyes. She's so still, like a porcelain doll, and tiny. I realize what I'm doing and my eyes quickly soften.

It's not her fault, she didn't know. Being mad at Sakura felt weird, like I was doing something wrong and cruel. Guilt started to eat away at me and I kind of just wanted to bolt from where I was. I'm looking down now, I don't have it in me to see her face and she isn't moving.

"Sorry, I didn't mean-"

There is pink and fuzzy light everywhere. I'm not at school anymore, there is no one here but me. I'm floating and it feels totally trippy. My tongue is numb, but my body feels sensitive to everything around me. I'm happy, extremely happy and I have no idea why. Something is caressing my insides and it's tickling me. I can't giggle, I won't. My pride won't allow it, but it's so hard when everything just feels so nice and . . . and . . . _pleasurable._

"Next!"

It all fades away and I am left standing there, slightly bent over clutching my stomach and taking in deep breaths. My ears are ringing, but they're slowly reverting back to their normal state and the sound of people talking and laughing and screaming start to come alive. No one seems to notice me panting wildly, or that my face is beet red – except for her.

She's looking at me with that same distant look. Her eyes are back to their normal green and she's got her hands in her pockets. It was her, I know it was her. She's doing it again, making me feel things and doing all sort of weird emotional stuff to me. I have no idea how or why for that matter, it's frighting me a little. This is human, the things she does no living person can do. I'm at a loss for words and stare at her with bulging eyes.

"I apologize for my rude behavior."

It takes me a minute to get my mouth moving, "W-what?"

"I did not know the subject of your parents was a delicate one, I did not mean to push my limits."

She bows, and it looks a little awkward because her back is bent.

"You don't have to say sorry, you didn't know. I shouldn't have glared at you like that."

She rises back up, "No, you had every right. I should have been more cautious."

I stand up straighter and roll my shoulders, "Whatever, let's just drop it okay?"

Even though I want to ask her what the hell just happened to me keep my mouth shut. Now is not the time and place to discuss such things, but that doesn't mean I'll forget about it. Oh no, Sakura and I are going to have a long conversation about this and I'm going to find out what she's up to.

A few minutes later, we're at the front. The lady immediately recognizes me and searches for my name.

"Gaara, you're in the team raven."

Surprise, surprise.

I step aside for Sakura.

"Name please."

"Haruno Sakura."

"Haruno . . . Haruno . . . ah, there we are. Team Sparrow."

Fuck my life.

"What." I drawl out, "Can't you just switch someone from our team for her?"

"Nope sorry, can't do that. Next!"

We're pushed aside by some of the bigger kids and make our way over to less crowded area. We sit on a bench in the east garden and watch the people from afar.

"Do you know anyone in my team?"

I scratch my chin and think for a second, "Akimichi Choji, he's the only guy I know. He's a friend of mine, bit of a porker. But don't call him fat or else he'll kill you."

"I wanted to be on your team."

My ears are on fire. My face is burning and everything is suddenly a million degrees too hot. I can't move my hands, I can feel how clammy they are. I know she can hear my heart beating like an angry gorilla against my ribcage, it's trying its hardest to burst of my chest and sing her a song. My breaths are shallow and ragged, I don't think I'm getting enough oxygen to my head.

Amazingly, my voice doesn't crack when I speak.

"Me too."

Her eyes are on the ladybugs crawling all over the yellow flowers. She gets up swiftly and crouches down. Gently, she extends her hands and watch one by one as they crawl onto human flesh. It almost seems surreal, this looks more like a painting than real life. Is this a dream? I get my hands moving and pinch myself.

I don't know where this surge of energy came from, not from Sakura I know that for sure, but I feel almost giddy and excited for something and I jump up, startling some of the birds bathing in the fountain. My foot is itchy and my fingers keep twitching and before I can stop myself, the words come running out of me.

"Wanna have dinner with me?"

Oh god what did I just do? Idiot! I am such a idiot! Why would I never say such a –

"Sure."

. . . Fuck yeah!

"R-really, uh, great!" I really hope she doesn't turn around, even I know my smile looks downright creepy.

"I'm a vegetarian."

"No problem, there's some restaurants around here that sell vegetarian stuff."

She nods.

"I guess after we freshen up I'll swing by your dorm and pick you up?"

"Okay."

I sit back down and it's a wonder my face has split in half by now. I don't think she realizes how happy she's made me, hell I don't even know why I'm so happy myself. I've taken loads of girls out to dinner before, but it feels different this time. Maybe it's because I actually like her. My smile nearly falters, oh god, do I actually _like _her? I look at her, she's still playing with the ladybugs. I don't know the answer to that yet, and I'm not in any rush to find out. Right now, I'm just happy to be alive.

* * *

><p><strong>I promise the next one will be super long! And it will include the dinner scene.<strong>

**If you find any mistakes, please _kindly _tell me where they are. Because if you're mean I will make things worse.**


	7. Chapter 7: comforting a girl

_Winter is Coming_

**OOO**

I remember the first time I proposed to Sakura; I screwed everything up. I had a nice dinner and dance planned out for just the two of us. The restaurant saved us a special seat near the water fountain and I requested the band to play her favorite song. It was all going so smoothly . . . until I choked. Big time, I swallowed up and couldn't chew at all. The words were stuck in my throat and throughout the whole evening I was a nervous wreck. She was calm and collected of course, she always is and for that I envy her.

I was supposed to pop the question when the water show began, but I just stood there like an idiot, cursing myself and acting like a total fool. She enjoyed everything of course, her smile never faltered and every now and then she'd grab my arm when something eye-catching happened. Finally, when we finished dessert I asked her. Well, I actually screamed at her. It was a bit frightening and I know I scared some of the staff. But she didn't seem to mind, because fifty years later we're still together.

* * *

><p>"Wait, <em>you <em>have a date?"

I'm ignoring him, I really am.

"_The _Sabaku Gaara has a date? With a _girl_?"

My eye twitches and it takes everything in me to not throw something sharp and pointy at his head.

"I have been on plenty of dates before."

Naruto scoffs and continues playing his video game, "Those didn't count. You just went with them to show everyone you aren't gay. Which of course, fueled the rumor even more because you didn't even like them."

I sigh and spray some AXE on me, "I'm not gay."

"Take that zombie bitch!" He nearly falls off the couch as he presses the controller button vigorously, "Of course you aren't, because you like Sakura right? That's why you're taking her out on a date."

"It's not a date." I contemplate whether or not I should do anything with my hair, but seeing as how it'll always resemble that of a wild forest; I leave it alone.

"Sure, and my hair isn't blonde. Look, stop denying the fact that you may have some feelings for her. I mean, all you do is think about her – and don't deny that – because when you aren't playing your drums or locking yourself in your book studying, you're usually sitting in the gardens with her."

Damn it, how could I make myself that obvious? And curse Naruto for being so observant. I guess he isn't really as dumb as he looks. I exit the bathroom and lean against the living room wall.

"I will admit, I do feel something for her."

He grins cheekily, "See what I mean?"

"But it's affection."

There is a loud booming from the T.V. and he flips the screen off, "Keep telling yourself that."

"Look I asked her out to dinner, friends do that. It's not a date and I don't like her in that way." He opens his mouth, but I cut him off, "And don't tell me I'm in denial."

The game pauses and he sets the controller down. He gives me this hard look and it almost makes me feel like he's reading my mind somehow. Naruto may slack when it comes to school, and he's not exactly the most brilliant thing ever, but he's smart and very sly. He's probably knows me better than I know myself. I can't hide anything from him, even if I buried it fifty feet underground he'll still be able to dig it up.

My voice comes out low, but I know he can still hear me."I don't how I feel, but what I do know is that she's important to me. I've never met someone like her. She's weird, and hard to read. She's something else all together."

Naruto smirks and resumes his game, "Most girls are like that, if they aren't; then they aren't worth your time. I can tell she's doing a number on you, she's making you think for once. Just don't mess this up, it'd be a shame if you lose her."

I chuckle, "You haven't spent time with her like I have, if anything, she doesn't care about what happens between us."

"Now you're just making it seem like she's heartless."

"She's anything but heartless, I can't explain it. I don't think she knows how to act like a normal person."

"Normal's overrated, if she really is as strange and unusual as you keep telling me than you should definitely let her stay that way."

I nod, giving his words one last thought, and walk away from the living room and head for the door. My clothing is very casual, just a black shirt, hoodie, and jeans. I don't want to seem like I'm trying too hard, but at the same time I don't want to come off as uncaring. Back when I _"dated" _girls, I always come off as some insensitive jerk with a frigid personality, and they and their friends would blast me the next day. I don't want Sakura to do that, though I don't think she has any friends, and I'm actually trying my best to be nice to her. I like her.

But not in that way.

And this is not a date.

. . . I am in such denial. I can't think like this, because then I'll end up being all defensive again and she'll be put off by my attitude. I know I said she didn't care, but she wouldn't assault me with her laser beam of emotions if she actually didn't. Which reminds me, I still have to ask her how she does that. I don't think I can take it anymore, it's weird and does funny things to my insides. And I don't like it when fuzzy things are tickling my organs, it gives my body _wrong _reactions.

Slipping on my converse, I tell Naruto to remember to turn off the kitchen stove this time and lock the door. Seriously, the guy actually left the fire going on well into the early morning. My utility bill went flying over my head I almost killed him right then and there. But anyways, I'm trying not to think of stupid catastrophes like that right now because my stomach is filled with butterflies and this hollow feeling won't leave me alone.

Her dorm is in building A5, that's where all the kids with the rich families stay. I actually forgot Sakura came from a wealthy family, she's so down to earth I would have never guessed. Plus, I know she buys all her clothes from cheap department stores and thrift shops, not to mention her school uniform is a hand-me-down. I remember her telling me once that her parents owned an animal themed café somewhere in Tokyo. Kind of weird, but then again this is Sakura I'm talking about.

I walk through past the B buildings and see a significant change in scenery. There are are tons of elaborate water fountains scattered everywhere. The gardens look for like rainforests with all their exotic flowers, and the ponds and filled to the tee with expensive koi fish. I've only been here once, and that was because I was paired up in my science class with a guy who lived here. He was cool, too bad he graduated with the rest of the seniors. They were all actually bearable, not to mention intellectual. They left behind a legacy that our class will surely not follow, unfortunately.

The school bell tower chimes, it's only 5:30. Maybe I'm too early or maybe I'm too late. I hope she's ready, what if she's not ready? Should I wait a little longer? She's probably already waiting for me. I hope I look away, she probably couldn't care less. It's not as if I'm trying to impress her, or am I? No, I am most certainly not! I just want some sort of reaction from her! She'll probably just give me that apathetic look and call me childish again.

I sigh and rub the bridge of my nose. We haven't even gone to dinner yet and I'm already acting up a storm. The things this girl does to me. Even when she isn't here I'm still getting rattled. I'd hate to imagine what dating her would really be like, just the thought of a pink-haired, stunner shade wearing girlfriend already gave me a raging migraine.

Wait, I shouldn't even be thinking that. I should not imagine Sakura as my girlfriend, I shouldn't imagine her as anyone's girlfriend for that matter. No one would want a girl like her, and I'm not saying that to be mean. I'm quite serious. She's not that kind of person, she wears bracelets made of human teeth for crying out loud! Oh man, I hope those are fake. That's just unsanitary.

I get to the stares and don't even bother greeting some of the people who pass by when I see a familiar pair of shoes come into sight. I mentally groan and try to walk around the person as fast as I can, but as fate would have it; she just loves torturing me.

"What're you doing here Sabaku, shouldn't you be in the commoner's dorm?"

He's blocking my way, that bastard. I have no choice but to play his game for a little bit if I want to get to Sakura's dorm.

"I could ask you the same thing, didn't know lurking in dark hallways was your thing."

Sasuke smirks, "Funny, you're very funny."

His bag is still on him and he's carrying some books, I think he just got out of study hall. Although, there has been rumors that he skips lessons so he can get a blow job from girls in his fanclub. Wouldn't be surprised, It's just funny to know he's actually straight. From the amount of time and care he puts into looking as _stunning_ as he does, I assumed he played for the other team. I think he makes Edward Cullen look manly, and that's saying a lot. But whatever, I can't deal with this moron right now. I have somewhere to be.

"Well, as much as I enjoy our little conversations, I have somewhere to go."

"Taking Sakura out on a date? I didn't know you had it in you. Did you bribe or force her? She didn't look all too happy when she told me."

The hair on my neck stood on it. I brake out into a cold sweat and almost lunged at him. How the hell did he get Sakura to tell him? More importantly, why was he with her?

I growl,"That's none of your business."

"That may be, but I'm just saying you have no chance with her."

I roll my eyes, "And you think you do?"

"Better chance than you."

Ha! So I was right all along, he does have something for her. But I let that revelation slide and all I want to do is wipe that stupid expression clean off his face. This is perfect, simply wonderful. I was fine and happy not having to compete with anyone to get her attention since everyone was weirded out by her, but now that the school's heartthrob has his eyes set on her I don't know what do to. Murder isn't an option, though it's looking like a good idea right about now. But I know she'll never want a slime ball like him. And that's the only thing I have going for me.

"Get real Uchiha, she doesn't want you - she doesn't anyone."

He chuckles, "And that must break your heart, right? Too bad really, I know she could have had a real good time with me, I know exactly what to do to please a woman. Even one as annoying as her."

Just as I'm about to slam my fist into his face, something whizzes right by us and glides up the stairs. A flurry of pink hair and flashing red lights rolls across the bridge and into the dormitories. I don't hesitate for a second and climb up the stairs as quickly as I can.

"If you're wondering, Sakura and I have study hall together. Everything Tuesday and Thursday, for two hours." He says this all too smugly and continues walking down the first floor hallway.

I block out his words. They shouldn't bother me as much as they have, but they do. There's no point in denying it, I am slightly jealous. It is an ugly and disturbing feeling and I don't like it at all. I hardly get jealous over anything, but this is different. I only have one class with her, for one hour and we hardly speak to each other because we're so busy taking notes and doing work. The only real chances I get to be with her is during lunch and our ten minute breaks, and we're hardly ever alone during those times.

But Uchiha gets to be alone with her, he gets to study with her and spend time with her. I should be in his place, I should be the one studying with her. I know I sound possessive, and I have no right to be feeling this way, but I can't help it. This goes way beyond the level of friendship, I'm treading in unknown territory without a map and I feel completely helpless. I don't want to go to dinner mad, hell I don't want to be mad at all. But at this point I feel like our evening is completely ruined.

Sakura's probably really tired, she must be after spending that many hours with Sasuke. I wonder if she still wants to go out, I wouldn't blame her if she didn't. I walk past a couple more doors before I finally stop at hers. I don't hear anything coming from the inside, so I knock three times. I stand there for a few seconds before the door slightly opens. I can hardly see Sakura through the crack.

"Oh, it's you."

"Uh yeah," I know I sound agitated, it probably wouldn't do any good if we went out together while I'm still feeling down, "Hey listen - "

"Do you want to come in?"

I forget that I'm angry all together and just stare at her with wide eyes, "W-what?"

"I spent my afternoon in study hall and had no time to clean myself, would you like to come in and wait as I get ready?"

I'm pretty sure my mouth is hanging open, but I nod and watch as she steps aside and opens the door wider. I take my shoes off with shaky fingers and hesitantly take my first step inside. She quickly closes the door and walks away. I assume she's going to use the bathroom so I try and make myself as comfortable as possible and sit in her living room.

Her dorm is plain and simple. Nothing out of the ordinary and nothing extravagant, it looks almost new in a way because of how few furniture and decorations she has. This is totally different from what I would have imagined, well, not that I have ever imagined coming into Sakura's room or anything. The walls are a creamy white, the couch is a dark turquoise and the she only has a few framed pictures hanging on her wall. The only thing that really stands out is the plasma TV and it's stand. She appears to be an avid gamer, because all the game systems I could imagine are neatly packed into the cabinets under the stand.

From what it looks like, she's living alone. I only saw two other pair of shoes, not including myself, and I've already seen her wear them. It makes me a little uneasy to know shes here all by herself, what if someone tried to break it? It's a good thing I live so close, that way I can come check up on her if anything were to happen. But at the same time, Sasuke lives in the same complex and if he finds out she doesn't have a roommate, he'll probably make some lewd suggestion like asking if he could move in with her. And knowing how oblivious she is, she'll probably just say yes.

Great, now I'm angry again. My thoughts always go back to that chicken-haired dick and it pisses me off every time. I try flipping through some of the magazines stacked neatly on her coffee table, but that doesn't help. I get up and walk around her makeshift house. I go to the first picture on the wall and it nearly softens my mood. It's Sakura as a baby. She's laying on top of her mother, who is making a kissy face at her. Her eyes are so big and doll like, it's such a contrast to how she is now. I wonder if she'll look as innocent as this if she actually opened her eyes all the way, instead of leaving them half lid.

The second picture is of her and a tall, platinum blond man. I'm going to assume that's her father, even though his feminine features say other ways. She's wearing a soft, yellow dress and he's dressed in an all black suit. I guess it must be at a wedding of some sort, but she's holding some balloons so I can't really tell. She looks happy and she's actually smiling. I resist the urge to coo at the picture, despite how cute it is and move on to the next one. There are two people in it whom I don't know, I assume they are her friends. A girl with light green hair is making the peace sign, Sakura's in the middle with puckering up her lips like a fish, and a boy with black hair at her side. On the bottom, it says '_Not Today,_' whatever that means.

I hear the shower go on and I know I'll be here for a while, not that I mind or anything. It's still a little early. The rest of the pictures are of her and her parents and some with friends. Well, at least it's nice to know she's an actual human being. For a while I thought she was an alien or something, how crazy is that? I know she's weird, very strange and totally abnormal, but she's still a person.

I hear a beeping and realize that's my phone. I take it out of my back pocket and touch the screen. It's from Naruto. I growl out loud. That moron, why the hell would I be buried deep in her panties? I send him a rather curt remark, something I know he'll laugh at regardless of my threat to maim him alive. How Hinata could possibly stand a pervert like him is beyond me. I've been bestfriends with that kid since preschool and I can't be around him for two seconds without choking him.

There is a rather impressive bookshelf in her den, and it's filled to the brim with books of all sorts. I walk over and examine it with a curious eye. They're mostly classic literature and some fiction here and there. Most are in Latin or English, but I can spot a few Japanese ones. She only has a small section for her Korean books, but they're thick and look quite heavy. And the thing that gets to me is that they aren't new, they're old. All of the books are old and worn out. I don't think they're for show either, I solemnly believe she has read each and every one of these.

My heart soared at the thought.

I've never told anyone but Naruto; smart girls are a huge turn on for me, especially the ones who actually read. I eagerly grab a random book, I don't know or care what it says but I want to see what's in it and why Sakura has read it. As I flip through the delicate pages, something slips out and falls to my feet. I look over and see that it's a folded paper. I probably shouldn't read it, but I do it anyways so I grab and open it. It's just a picture of some kind of weird looking triton. At first I don't recognize what it is, but then I remember seeing it in one of Sakura's books.

She said it was a royal crest of armor, but it doesn't look any coat of arms to me. I've never seen anything like it and I have no idea which country it comes from. And that's when I notice it, I look around her den and see the symbol everywhere. It's on a flag hanging on the wall, a small bronze statue sitting on the shelf, it's even engraved onto some of the furniture. I find this a little creepy so I put the book back and slowly back out of the room.

"What're you doing in there?"

I nearly jump out of my skin. I lay my hand over my pounding heart and calm myself. How the hell does she stay so silent? I have half a mind to yell at her, and spin around to do so, but it is a gave mistake and I pay for it dearly. Blood rushes out of my nose before I can stop myself. I back into the wall and point an accusing finger at her.

"W-why the hell are you naked!"

She looks down at herself and then back at me, "I'm not naked, I am wearing a towel."

Her hair is still wet, and I can see her cheeks are still red after stepping out of the shower. I don't know if I'm breathing or not, hell, I don't even know I'm alive. But as I watch a single drop of water fall from her bangs and land on her chest, sliding into the valley of her breasts I know I am a dead man.

I am not getting aroused, I am not getting aroused, I am not . . .

Her face is still blank and she cocks and eyebrow as I try to control the bleeding. She turns and walks to the kitchen, taking out a roll of towels, and throwing them at me. Then she brush right past me and disappears into her room, shutting the door silently.

I clutch the towels for dear life and wipe my nose. I don't know what came over me, I've never had such a strong reaction before. Perhaps Naruto was right, I really do need to get laid. No, no! I'm only sixteen! I should be thinking like this, especially about Sakura. What just happened was a normal response and male would have when in the vicinity of an attractive young woman. And I'm not just calling Sakura attractive because she was standing in front of me naked.

I have to control myself, I have to! This _cannot_ be happening, oh hell no. I refuse to stoop so low as to have a hard on when Sakura is around. But . . . why did she have to be _naked_? She probably thinks I'm a pervert now, I can just imagine all the things she's thinking about me. She probably doesn't want to go get dinner now, I bet she's calling the cops. What have I done to our friendship? I have tainted the only true friendship I'll ever have with a girl!

My nose has finally stopped bleeding and my heart has gone back to normal, but that image of a wet and naked Sakura standing before me in all her innocent glory will forever be burned into my head. I can't look at her the same anymore, damn it! Now that I know what a fine, _fine _behind she's hiding underneath those horrid school uniform, it's probably the only thing I'm going to be thinking about until the day I die. Cursed these blasted hormones! For once in my life I actually hate being born with a dick.

Speaking of dicks, I dare not move from my spot until mine as come down from its high. I have to apologize to her, I have to make things absolutely clear that I do not in anyway wish to jump her. Oh god, if Naruto finds out about this I will never hear the end of it. She's been in her room an awfully long time, I wonder what she's doing. Probably crying over my indecency, hoping I'll leave and never return.

I throw the towels away and slowly, quietly make my way down the hall. I pass by some more hanging pictures, but I can't bring myself to look at them. I have shamed myself so perversely, I should not be forgiven. But I have to make amends somehow, even though it will probably mean nothing to her.

I stop at her door. There is a white board with a calender on it and I can see she has written many things down, all in hangul. I raise my hand and make to knock, but the door swings open and we're met face to chest. She's unbelievably tiny that it makes me all the more guilty.

She steps around me and closes the door. I hear her walk through the hallway and stop at the front where she starts putting on her shoes.

"Well, are you coming or what?"

I go to the front and attempt to speak, but she cuts me off.

"Save it, I care not. Trust me, there's been worse."

I don't know if that's supposed to make me feel better, because it doesn't, but Sakura seems more or less uninterested and finishes lacing her shoes. She isn't affected by the situation at all, it's only me. I just need to calm the fuck down and move on, put all of this behind me. Better said than done, there will always be a part of be wondering _what if. _I slip my shoes on and we're out the door.

The sun is partially set, so the skies are now purple-ish pink. I think it's really pretty, and Sakura must think the same too because she's taking out her camera for a quick picture. I've noticed lately she's been taking quite a lot of pictures with her new camera. Her dad bought it for her after her last one died, she's already decorated it with tons of jewels and beads.

"Do you always have to do that?"

"Only if it's nice."

We make our way pass the buildings and head toward the shops. It's a thursday night, I don't think there's going to be a lot of people out. As we wait for the light to turn red for us to cross, I notice something I haven't seen before. There is a small dent on her eyebrows. It's a curved line of hair, then it stops before continuing on, leaving a small hairless area on her brow.

"What's up with this?" I make a hand motion to my own brow.

She looks up at me, "I had a small accident as a child."

"Did you fall or something?"

"Someone hit me."

I'm shocked to say the least, who could ever do such a thing?

But before I can ask, the light flashes and we're already moving. We get to the restaurants and shops, and all that's left is to find a nice place to eat. I'm trying to decide if it should be something fancy or casual. If we go to a fine dining place, I'll have to pay more and it would really look like a date. Plus I don't even think they'll take us in, I mean look at how we're dressed. I'm not saying we're sloppy, but Sakura is wearing neon green shorts and a grey tank top. Her bows have nyan cat on them, that's saying enough. We'll be kicked out before we even reach the front door.

Casual it is.

After looking around, we decide to eat at Minamori's Pastry House. I open the door for her and we walk in. The smell of strawberries and crème overwhelms me, I can already feel my taste buds dying inside my mouth. However, Sakura doesn't seem to mind, her face is already pressed against the glass counter and looking at all the sweet delicacies this place has to offer.

I decide to forgo the sugary stuff and just look over their dinner menu. Their soups and salads sound nice, I've never had french onion before. I think I'll get that, plus it comes with free bread.

"Have you decided what you want?"

"No."

"Welcome my children!"

We both look up and see an elderly man with bright purple hair burst out of the back and greet up in a most flamboyant way. His wig is falling off, and his lolita dress is two sizes two small. My thinking process has just erupted, life is now one giant game. Of all things, a cross dress – the owner is a cross dresser who wears cheap make-up and forces his voice to sound like a girl's. Sakura isn't fazed at all and returns her attention to the pastries.

"My name is Minamori Hanako," He skips over to us, "Is there anything I can help you lovebirds with?"

I cringe at that, "We are not lovebirds."

"Oh?" He feigns shock, "So you two aren't on a date?"

"No."

"That's too bad, you both look adorable together!" He says this in a sing-songy way and I want to punch him for that. Elder or not, if he says that one more time I'm going to hit him.

"Can we just order already?"

He gets behind the cash register, "But of course my angels, what will you have?"

"I want the french onion soup, with the salad."

"Any drinks with that?'

"Coke."

He types all that in and looks at Sakura over the counter, "And for you dearest?"

She's quite for a moment before getting off the glass and points to the sweets, "One of everything."

My stomach drops, Minamori claps his hands wildly. "Oh excellent darling! Just excellent, you're my new favorite costumer!"

He grabs a pair of pink gloves and proceeds to grab one of everything and put them on a chine plate. My eyes are bulging out of their sockets. Is this reality? My poor wallet, this is going to cost me more than a new pair of drums. Is that piece of cake seriously 480 yen? No, that is ridiculous. Wow, that cheesecake is 680.30 yen. Looks like I'll be working over time for the next whole year.

As I pull out my wallet, I see Sakura taking out hers and and getting ready to hand the owner her credit card.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

"Paying for my food, obviously."

My left eye twitches, "No you are not."

"Why?"

"Because I'm the one who asked you out for dinner, I'm obviously paying for it."

"Oh, a lover's spat!" Minamori rubs his cheeks.

"Quite old man. Look, I'm paying for everything, that's final." I shove her out of the way and hand him my credit card.

"Is this your way of being chivalrous?" She puts her wallet back into her pocket.

"No, it's because I'm being polite. Plus, guys usually do these things for girls."

Sakura crosses her arms, "And you feel like your masculinity is being put at stake so you pay for my food, right?"

I give her one of my hardest looks, "My masculinity is just fine, thank you very much."

"I don't understand why men do this when women are just as capable at buying their own meals."

Minamori shakes his head, "She has a point you know, we girls don't need your chauvinistic righteousness being forced down our throats."

I snatched my card back, "Shove it and just get us our food."

"Your soup will be ready in five minutes, please help yourself to any seat you would like!" He skips back into the kitchen.

Sakura attempts to grab the plates, but I beat her to it and she gives me a deadpan look, although I can see a spark of irritation in her eyes. I smirk at her and purposely bum into her as I find us a table. We take the one next to the window that looks out into the center of the shops. I set her food down and we take our seats.

"Would you like some?"

I take one sweep of her _dinner _and blanch, "Hell no, I'll die of diabetes before the night's over."

She shrugs and digs in, very slowly. The first thing she gets is the caramel apple strudel and takes a small bite. Even though her expression is blank, I can see her pupils dilating and know she's enjoying every minute of this.

"So, you never told me you had study hall on tuesdays and thursdays."

She swallows, "You never asked."

My food is delivered and take a spoonful of soup. It's still steaming hot, so I blow on it and take a tentative sip. The flavor is . . . interesting, to say the least. I've never had something quite like it. It's definitely new, but I like it. The parmesan cheese adds a little kick, and I like it. I dip the bread in the soup and when I take a bite, it's almost like heaven.

"Wanna try?"

She puts the cookie and brownie down and looks at my food, "What is it?"

"French onion."

"Okay."

I take another spoonful and blow on it, then bring to her mouth. She leans in and slightly wets her glossy, pink lips with the tip of her tongue before taking the whole head in. At then it happens, I'm brought back to the apartment when Sakura is standing right in front of me naked and wet. Except this time I don't think I can come out alive. There is something so sensual and seductive about her innocence it drives me up the wall. This shouldn't be turning me on, but it is and I can feel my pants getting a little tighter.

My breathing has staggered and I know my hand is shaking. I gulp despite how dry my mouth has become. Does she not realize what she's doing to me? This can't be real, she's so doing this on purpose. I bet she's having a real great time making a fool out of me. She let's go with a wet pop and leans back, continuing on with her meal. I bring the spoon back and just stare at it for a while. Her saliva is on it.

If I eat with this spoon, it's like I'm kissing her.

Oh my god, I'm going to be kissing Sakura. I take in deep breaths and exhale through my nose. I carefully wipe my spoon clean and continue eating my soup. It's really not fair how I can be so affected by these things and she can move on without a care in the world. Her face is always clean of emotion and she never bates an eye. It should be the other way around, the girl is always supposed to be the one who gets embarrassed over everything – not the other way around.

"So . . . how's school so far?"

A stupid conversation starter, but I really need a distraction.

"Fine."

"How are classes?"

"Good."

"Meet anyone new?" At this point I'm just of just playing with my food.

"You and Naruto."

I look up, "That's it?"

"Sasuke, Ino, Karin, Ami, and another girl I don't care about."

"But are you friends with anyone besides me?"

She pops a cherry into her mouth and breaks off the stem, "One or two people."

The soup's starting to get cold so I take a couple more sips, "There's a picture in your dorm of you and two other people; a girl with green hair and a buy with black. Are they your friends?"

Her actions still and suddenly her pupils contract. The grip on her churro nearly breaks it in half and her face isn't so blank anymore, there is this distance and longing. Her lips are now a thin line, she's clenching her jaw and looking far off. A wave of sadness and sorrow assault me, and I drop my spoon. It falls to the floor with a loud clang and I grip my head. I can feel my eyes brim with unshed tears. I have no idea why, but I feel the need to cry and scream. Besides this grief I feel pain, unimaginable and heartbreaking pain.

"S-Sakura, stop, please stop." I grab her hand with squeeze it as hard as I can.

The feeling is gone and I'm left shuddering and gasping for air. A single tear falls from my eye and land on my hand. I look up and see her face buried in her arm. With the hand the isn't grabbing hers, I reach out and stroke her hair. She peeks at me through her bangs and I can see her eyes glowing a very dark green, the golden specks swim across her iris. She lifts her head and her face is back to her normal, languid expression.

"Please excuse me."

She quickly gets up from her seat and walks to the bathroom.

It is not guilt I feel at this very moment, but excruciating suffering I can't put into words. My body is still shaking and I take a chug down my glass of water as if it were my salvation. I wipe my eyes and rub the sides of my head. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, I wanted dinner to be nice and something to look forward to. Once again, I've ruined everything. How many more things can I screw up before I get it right?

I'm about to get up and for some boxes to go when Sakura comes back and sits back down. She picks up a strawberry tart and eats it as if nothing has happened. I look at her in a puzzled manner and wonder what the hell just happened. Her eyes aren't red, which means she wasn't crying, but I can tell from her stiff posture she's still disturbed.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She nods.

"You know we don't have to stay if you want, we can just leave."

Even though she shakes her head, I'm not entirely convinced.

"I don't want you to force yourself, if you're uncomfortable - "

"But I want to stay."

I tilt my head.

"I want to have dinner with you, I wouldn't have left study hall so early if I didn't."

I smile a little and we continue eating. I have to get up for another spoon though, and when I got back she's already done with half her meal. She's looking out the window, her eyes are glazed over and unfocused. It doesn't take a genius to know she's thinking about those people in the picture. I don't know how to comfort people, I've never dealt with a situation like this before, so I'm totally unexperienced. But nonetheless, I touch her arm and bring her a little closer to me.

She doesn't seem to mind and allows this simple skin on skin contact.

Dinner is finished in silence and we bid Minamori farewell. He must have sensed the change in atmosphere and gave Sakura and I a bag of cookies. When we exit the pastry house, I give my bag to her and we head back to the dorms. It's already night time and the air is a bit chilly, so I slip my hoodie off and wrap it around her. She zips the jacket up and for some reason, it pleases me greatly to see her wearing something of mine. I think I've finally lost it. And yet I still stand a little closer to her.

The walk back is also in silence, but it is a comfortable quite that does not need to be disturbed by any form of talking. The gardens are lit up by hanging lanterns and fireflies, it looks like a scene straight out of a Miyazaki movie and it's beautiful. The flowers look alive, they sway with the gentle breeze of the wind and glow like nightlights of the forest. The koi fish are particularly active right now, some are even jumping out of the water and making quite a commotion.

Sakura stops at the stairs and I nearly run into her back.

"What is it?"

"Will you walk with me?"

"Okay."

She turns around and leads the way into the dense thicket of the forest like garden. I know these bamboo trees aren't local, they're only grown in the mountains. They actually plucked up bamboo trees from that far north just to put them in a school garden? I shake my head at the audacity. The path we're taking winds and twirls at odd ends, it's like a trail drawn out by a five year old.

We stop in the heart of it all. At the center is a marble statue of the founding father of our academy. He looks like a greek god, except with clothes. I don't really care for these sort of things, because they're such a waste of money. They could have at least put him in front of our school or something, I doubt anyone comes this deep into the garden. I also know that this center connects all the dormitories together. If you follow the east trail, you'll be lead straight back to my dorm.

"It looks kind of creepy, huh? As a kid I was always afraid these things would come alive and get me."

She doesn't say anything, but turns to face me.

I remember saying once that I wanted to see some emotion on Sakura's face, that I wanted to see her feel something besides indifference. When I said this, I had always imagined her smiling or laughing, maybe even anger. Anything but the somber look she's giving me know. Her eyes are half-lid anymore, they're squeezed together to keep the tears from falling. She's no longer slouching, but I can tell she's about to crumble.

"They're dead."

Her voice is so soft I can barely hear.

"Sakura - "

"They died in a prison camp."

A prison camp? That didn't make any sense, there wasn't any sort of war going on.

"This bump," She touched her eyebrow, "I was hit on the head with gun."

"I don't understand, what prison camp?"

I move towards her, but she's already running at me and flinging herself into me arms. She clings to me so tightly I can't free myself. I can feel wetness on my shirt and I know she's crying. I warp my arms around her and pull her even closer. She's so small her head barely reaches my shoulder, but I rest my chin on top of hers and let her sob into me. I don't need those emotion signals to feel how much pain she's in. Her body is convulsing and I catch her before she hits the ground.

I don't know what to do, so I say the only thing that really matters at this moment, "I'm here."

She slowly lifts her head and looks at me with a red face and light, green eyes. The tears keep rolling down her cheeks and I gently wipe them away with my thumb.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to end the evening like this."

I shake my head, "It's okay, it's fine."

She rests her head on my chest and I hear her take in a shaky breath.

"Sakura," I whisper into her ear and I'm please to feel a shudder roll down her back, "Don't be afraid to trust me."

"I've never been this open with anyone before."

"I've never hugged a girl before."

She makes a small noise, probably the closest thing to a laugh I'll ever get from her. But I'll always savor it and stow it away in the back of my head.

"Let's go inside and get you something warm to drink."

"Okay."

I help her to feet and keep my arm wrapped around her.

The fireflies follow us all the way to her dorm.

* * *

><p><strong>SYRIO, YOU SAID NOT TODAY SO Y U DIE?111!<strong>

**UGH, I HATE THE LANNISTERS. You too Sansa.**

**If you can't tell, I made some Game of Thrones references. I love the show. HOMG I love that show. I feel so bad for Arya, she's my favorite besides Jon Snow. Watch the show, do it. You'll fall in love like I did.**

**Anyways, was this long enough? Was it dramatical?**

**If you see any mistakes, please _kindly _let me know.**


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